Having retired from frontline service and replaced by newer models in Hampshire and Isle of Wight, the vehicles were sold back to Angloco and then handed over to Actions Beyond Words who delivered the appliances to colleagues in Ukraine to help them fight fires.
One of the fire engines was built in Guildford before it was purchased by the then Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, responding to incidents from several bases across the island including Newport and Ventnor, and is now based in Mizhhiria.
The other appliance was crewed by teams at Winchester and Stockbridge during its service within Hampshire and has now started its new life crewed by retired firefighters in a rural community near to Zmiiv, Kharkiv.
HIWFRS Fleet Operations Manager, Colin Carter said:
“We are delighted to see our old vehicles recycled to help our firefighting colleagues out in Ukraine.
“These fire engines had served their purpose here in Hampshire and Isle of Wight, and had been replaced by more modern vehicles, so it is great to see that they are still of use and continue to help to save lives, thanks to the work of Angloco and Actions Beyond Words.
“When all appliances reach their end-of-life, they are sold allowing us to reinvest the funds back into fire service assets.”
Chris Standley, a Watch Manager from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service was one of the organisers, and he, alongside a colleague, went on a roadtrip across Europe to deliver the vehicles to their new station in Zmiiv, in eastern Ukraine on 11th July.
Chris has been in the fire service for 27 years and he said:
“The fire service in Ukraine needs our support, and we will continue to do our bit to help.
“These strategic deliveries are coordinated with local aid organisations, local government and they save lives.
“The journey wasn’t uneventful, and we did our bit to help make life safer en route. We were the first on the scene of a serious road traffic collision in Kyiv, providing emergency care to a casualty, and we had already stopped a grass fire beside the road going through the Carpathian mountains.
“We really appreciate the assistance HIWFRS provided, and along with our Ukrainian firefighting brothers and sisters, were really impressed with the quality of the fire engines, which had been well looked after.”
The delivery was the work of a collective of organisations including Actions Beyond Words, Rotary International and War Disaster Reconstruction Assistance Center (WDRAC).
Actions Beyond Words promptly deploy responders to global humanitarian crises to support key infrastructure and resolve critical issues.
