West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service to Acquire Six New Engines for £2.4 Million

The West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service plans to invest £2.4 million in six new fire engines for its operational fleet. These vehicles are intended to substitute six of the service’s current oldest appliances, specifically four units that have been in service for more than two decades and two units that are 16 years old. Duncan Crow, who serves as the West Sussex County Council cabinet member responsible for community support, fire, and rescue, authorized this acquisition on Friday. Each of the new 16-tonne engines will have a capacity for 1,800 litres of water and carries an individual price tag of £400,000. A competitive tendering process is scheduled to take place, with the objective of finalizing contract awards by March 2025, according to information from the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Chief fire officer Sabrina Cohen-Hatton’s report indicated that these new vehicles are expected to deliver several advantages. These benefits encompass advancements in vehicle and firefighting technology, contributing to the county council’s aspiration of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, and decreasing both maintenance expenditures and the likelihood of emergency response vehicle malfunctions.