Safety fears over unreliable fire emergency vehicles

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A new round of cost cutting measures announced this week could see Cambridge and Peterborough firefighters lose their specialist aerial emergency vehicle, leaving only “unreliable” combination vehicles to protect the local area.

As part of the £4.3M budget cuts Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority plan to cut the turntable ladders and replace them with Multistars.

Turntable ladders are the specialised equipment used to tackle high rise fires.

Multistars are a combined fire engine and aerial vehicle – used to tackle fires and rescue people from tall buildings – that have been plagued with years of defects and faults.

Cameron Matthews, secretary of the FBU in Cambridgeshire, said: “Since their introduction Multistars have experienced a catalogue of failings which have repeatedly put them out of action. In the past quarter year alone Multistars in Cambridge have suffered 11 significant defects and have been made unavailable.

“Ironically even as firefighters were told the news that our current, functioning vehicles would be cut, the aerial capability of the Multistar was unavailable.

“Firefighters see sense in the concept but have lost confidence in the vehicle and serious concerns around firefighter and public safety have been raised about relying solely upon the Multistar when it has broken down so many times.

“I know if I purchased a car for £650,000 with the record this vehicle has, I would most certainly be taking it back to the dealer and demanding my money back. These vehicles fall far short of expectations.”

Numerous incidents have been reported prompting safety fears:

• In February a Multistar was required for use at a three storey house fire in Cambridge city. However it was unavailable and the turntable ladder was required.
  
• In March at the Tivoli pub fire, the turntable ladder needed to use its pivot facility which is not available on the Multistar.
  
• On several occasions, while on route to an incident, the Multistar aerial has become displaced forcing the driver to stop and complete a five minute fix before carrying on. In a fire every second counts. A delay of this kind could result in life being lost.
  

Matthews added: “We would appeal to the chief fire officer to reconsider such a move. If the decision goes ahead to remove the back-up turntable ladders from Cambridge and Peterborough there is a real risk that in the event that Kings College or a high rise flat in Peterborough catches fire, we fear these unreliable aerial vehicles will be unavailable to aid firefighters in saving life and property.

“In such an event the outcome could be devastating.”

http://www.fbu.org.uk/news/2015/03/safet...-vehicles/

[RedRider]

Humberside has a CARP which spent it's first couple of years having problem after problem rectified. These days it is far more reliable but is only used as an aerial, it is to heavy for its axles if fully kitted out so although they are very good aerials they don't do everything that they were bought for! Once again....money wasted as a purpose built aerial would have been far cheaper I'm sure!

[Yorkie]

Gmc has just bought one or possibly 2 of these from Rosenbauer !

[strontium dog]

The Multistars were bought by Central, L&B and D&G.

The last one of them is shortly being removed from service, they were all classed as unfit for purpose. Millions wasted.

[paddymc12]

FFS sake do they never learn !!crock of shit ,Multistars ? who came up with that nonsense ?

[Roadwolf]

stick with what works best. Multistars are a bag of crap. They are no use in specific incidents where a TL or ALP is needed. Trying to save a few quid here and there doesn't work

[velbert]

Fears raised five years ago about safety of fire engine which flipped over on Teesside

Union had 'concerns over suitability' of CARP engine which crashed at Billingham on Tuesday

Safety fears had been flagged up over the type of fire engine which overturned on a Teesside roundabout, it has emerged.

Three firefighters were injured on Tuesday when the Scania engine tipped over at the Billingham Bottoms roundabout as it made its way to an emergency incident in Middlesbrough.

Three of the five crew members were injured - one suffering a broken wrist, another a broken collar bone and the third broken ribs.

All were taken to the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton but have now been released and are recovering at home.

But it has emerged that questions had been asked about the sort of fire engine they were travelling in.

The Scania P310 machine, which has a roof mounted aerial platform and ladder to reach high rise incidents, was brought to Cleveland in 2014, having originally been based in Kent.

However, several online forums have questioned the suitability of such “CARP” machines (Combined Aerial Rescue Pumps) to take corners at any speed, given the extra weight and possible balance issues - and the Cleveland union says it expressed its concern when the machine was bought.


Emergency services at the scene (Image: Ian Cooper / Teesside Live)

Two years ago, there was controversy in Scotland when two CARP engines, which cost about £450,000 each, were sold for a total of just £15,000 after being taken off the road and gathering dust for years.

In a statement about Tuesday’s incident on Teesside, Cleveland Fire Brigade said: “We can confirm that there is an ongoing investigation to determine the cause or causes of the incident.

"We are unable to comment further until this investigation is concluded.”

But Davy Howe, Cleveland Fire Brigades’ Union Brigade (FBU) secretary, confirmed questions had been asked about the engine’s suitability.

He said: “Cleveland FBU welcomes Cleveland Fire Brigade management’s stance in agreeing for the FBU to be fully involved in the Serious Accident Investigation into the road traffic accident where a ‘CARP’ overturned en-route to an emergency call, causing substantial injury to three firefighters on board.

"Thankfully the firefighters involved are recovering well.



Davy Howe, FBU secretary (Image: Gazette)

“So as not to prejudice any outcomes of the investigation, the FBU will not presume any cause at this time.”

But he added: “The FBU can confirm that formal concerns and opposition to the introduction of CARPS, of the type involved in this incident, were made clear in 2014 to the fire authority and CFB senior management during consultation, and in the FBU’s formal response to the Fire Authorities Community Integrated Risk Management Plan 2014-18.

“These concerns were based around evidence at the time of the emergency response suitability of these vehicles and the health and safety of firefighters using them.”

Cleveland has two CARP machines - one based at Stockton, which was involved in the Billingham incident, and another based at Saltburn.

https://bit.ly/2J0Q8VJ

[trajet]

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From 21:45 see Elgin's short lived CARP on scrapheap challenge.

[www.fbusurrey.co.uk]

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