Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue showed off its new engines and equipment after £8 million of investment from the county council, which will help increase the speed that crews can deal with incidents.
A fleet of 33 new appliances – the latest generation of Scania truck chassis – will be sent out to fire stations in the county over the next two years at a rate of around two vehicles a month. Each fire engine costs around £240,000.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
It has improved safety and handling and reduced emissions. The first fire engine will be on the run from September 27 and will be based at Donington.
By the end of the year the stations at Donington, Caistor, Mablethorpe, Kirton, Holbeach and Brant Broughton will have taken delivery of the new fire engines.
A fleet of 33 new appliances will be sent out to fire stations in the county over the next two years. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The new appliances replace the current fire engines, which are around 12-14 years old and coming towards the end of their working life.
The new fire engines are capable of carrying 1800 litres of water on-board compared with 1400 litres on the older appliances.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
A broader spectrum of rescuing equipment will also be available and the changes will help improve the safety and welfare of the firefighters.
The fire service carried out demonstrations of Coldcut Cobra and the Holmatro cutting equipment used at road traffic collisions at its training base in Waddington on Thursday.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The new equipment includes:
Hilti impact driver (demo)
Halligan tool used for entering premises, removing padlocks etc
Tirfor winch (portable)
6m roof ladder on the engine and 9m ladders
22m hose reel with variable branch
The Coldcut Cobra equipment has already been in use on 23 fire engines and it will be added to the 16 new appliances being rolled out.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The Coldcut Cobra is an ultra high pressure system where iron filings, containing water, travel through walls at 400 miles per hour from the nozzle, meaning firefighters can tackle fires from outside buildings. The iron filings can cut through metal and up to 11 inches of concrete.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The new fire engines and equipment will help crews access fires quicker and allows them to work in a safer environment. It will also ensure that all 38 stations in Lincolnshire will have the Cobra equipment fitted.
Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue Station Manager Matt Perrin and Group Manager Dave Hopkins. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Dave Hopkins, Group Manager at Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue, told The Lincolnite: “I think the great thing, and it really is around the investment from the county council, is the decision was taken that wherever you live in Lincolnshire you have the same level of fire cover and equipment available to you.
“It means you’re getting the standardised service at the best levels right the way across the county. I’m fortunate in that I do get to travel around the country and the investment in the Fire & Rescue service by Lincolnshire County Council is second to none.”
Councillor Lindsey Cawrey and Councillor Nick Worth, Executive Member for fire & rescue services at Lincolnshire County Council. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Councillor Nick Worth, Executive Member for Fire & Rescue Services at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “The equipment on the new fire engines is the best anywhere in the UK and I can say that with some confidence having spoken with a number of authorities across the country.”
This is the latest boost to Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue after fire and ambulance crews moved into a brand new £21 million emergency services station on South Park this summer. Police will move in this autumn when it will become the first tri-service operational station in the country.
Fireman Sam reflection
The fire service is scrapping Fireman Sam. Photo: Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue
On the issue, Councillor Worth said: “The fire service here has changed a lot over the last few years. We have some highly qualified and extremely well trained female firefighters, but we’re trying to get a diverse workforce and we’re leading among the UK in doing that.
“We have on average more female firefighters in Lincolnshire than the national average.
“We don’t have a mascot, we never have had mascots and I think the firefighter Sam doesn’t align with our modern day practices.”
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A 20-year-old man has been locked up for three years after starting a fire in care accommodation with a discarded cigarette.
Callum Lilliot, 20, dropped a cigarette on his coat which he then threw onto his bed at his care accommodation in Awdry Drive, Wisbech, at about 10pm on Boxing Day 2021.
Officers initially were called to the property when Lilliot threatened to jump out of a second-floor window, but arrived to find smoke coming from an open window.
An officer began to kick the door down through fears that people were inside, before a carer opened it with a key and police tried to tackle the fire themselves.
The officers were beaten back by smoke and heat, causing two of them to be hospitalised with smoke inhalation. Four residents and carers were evacuated as Lilliot was arrested a short time later.
He claimed the fire had been an accident as temporary accommodation had to be arranged for other residents, but that was not to be the last time that Christmastime he got himself in trouble with the police.
In a further incident on December 29, just three days later, Lilliot rang 999 to say he wanted to hurt staff at Peterborough’s Edith Cavell Centre by burning it down.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of arson with intent to endanger life, arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered, and threatening to damage or destroy property, during a hearing at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday, June 29.
Lilliot was sentenced to three years detention in a young offenders institution.
Detective Sergeant Lee Womak, who investigated, said: “Lilliot showed little regard for the safety of others when he decided to deliberately drop his cigarette on his coat and start a fire.
“I don’t need to explain why starting fires is so dangerous and I hope Lilliot will reflect on his actions and consider how tragic the consequences could have been.”
A judge has issued an apology to a Boston man who admitted drug dealing after his sentence hearing was postponed for a second time because of strike action by crown court barristers.
Stacey Housham, 42, has been warned to expect jail after he pleaded guilty to supplying cocaine and heroin to other users.
Housham was due to be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on June 9, but the hearing could not go-ahead because of protest action by defence barristers.
His case was postponed until July 5, however Judge John Pini QC was again forced to adjourn the sentence hearing after being told Housham’s barrister was unavailable because of strike action.
Housham, who attended the hearing by video-link, will now be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on July 27.
Judge Pini told Housham: “These are serious matters. I have read the papers and the pre-sentence report in detail.
“Quite plainly your barrister needs to be here before you can be sentenced.
“I am sorry about this. It is something completely out of my control.”
Housham pleaded guilty to four charges concerning Class A drugs when he appeared at Lincoln Crown Court in April.
He was due to be sentenced after the preparation of a report by the Probation Service.
A number of other cases at Lincoln Crown Court have been impacted by the nationwide strike action by the Criminal Bar Association. (CBA)
Eight out of 10 barristers voted for the walkouts amid concerns the Government will not improve a proposed increase in criminal Legal Aid.
Housham, who was of no fixed address at the time of his offences, and is formerly of Collingwood Crescent, Boston, admitted possessing both cocaine and heroin with intent to supply others on February 10, 2020.
He also pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin to others between December 6, 2019, and February 11, 2020.
At a previous hearing the court heard Housham is now clean of drugs and has turned his life around.
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