Heywood Fire Station unveils new Water Incident Unit

A new specially designed Water Incident Unit is to be officially handed over to Heywood Fire Station as part of an ongoing replacement programme that ensures Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service provides a high quality emergency service for the public of Greater Manchester.

Mayor of Rochdale Jean Hornby, Fire Authority Member Councillor Colin Lambert, Area Commander Operations Tony Ciaramella and Rochdale Borough Commander Dave Astley will attend the handing over ceremony at 12:30pm on 20 April at Heywood Fire Station, Middleton Road, Heywood.

County Fire Officer, Barry Dixon says: “It is vital for the protection of both the public and fire fighters alike that the Brigade invests in high quality training, equipment and specialist rescue appliances”.

Assistant County Fire Officer Kieran Nolan, who has the responsibility for Brigade Operations said: “The Brigade has a rolling vehicle replacement programme across the County. All the public of Greater Manchester will benefit from the new vehicle based at Heywood, which replaces the previous older type and is one of only two of its type in the Brigade, which is state of the art and will undoubtedly deliver a high quality service”.

A rescue boat has been stationed at Heywood since the late 1990’s and this Water Incident Unit represents an investment of over £75,000 and is equipped with all the latest technological advances including; all heavy equipment stowed at low level in most cases mounted on swing out arms to facilitate easier removal. The vehicle is also fitted with rear air suspension which can be lowered at an incident to make equipment removal even easier.

With GMFRS Rescue Boats carrying out 74 rescues during 2005 and 2006, the Brigade has moved to a light weight inflatable rescue boat which can be carried inside the vehicle bodywork, negating the need for a trailer. This compact design of boat is designed to be inflated and made ready for use in less than two minutes, and its light weight construction requires the minimum of crew to carry the craft to off road quarries, estuaries or river banks.

A comprehensive equipment stowage layout has been provided to allow ease of access to the rescue equipment, which will be used by the fire fighters at the station who are specially trained to deal with water incidents. The crew cab is a one-piece unit with a range of in-built safety feature, which provide optimum protection for the crews in any situation.