New Flood Rescue Equipment for Humberside Fire & Rescue Service
19 January 2010
Following the devastating floods of 2007 and the periods of exceptionally heavy rainfall that have occurred since, Humberside Fire & Rescue Service has recently taken delivery of four new boats for flood rescue work.
Although there is no statutory duty on the part of fire and rescue services to provide flood rescue, most are furnishing themselves with the equipment and training necessary to carry out such work.
The DSB RTB-1 inflatable boats supplied by Dorset-based I.C. Brindle & Co. meet the requirements detailed in the Project Aquarius study made for the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, stating that boats for flood rescue work should be durable, stable, lightweight and rapidly deployable.
Robust and lightweight new boats
Humberside Fire & Rescue Service has opted for the SEB version of the boat, which permits inflation utilising the services standard 200 bar air cylinders, meaning the boat can be made ready for deployment in less than two minutes. Three metres long when inflated, and weighing only 48kg, the RTB-1 is packed in a valise measuring just 105cmx40cm dia.
Newly introduced to the UK, the RTB-1 has been in service with European fire services for some years and has proved to be a robust and versatile piece of equipment that has been used extensively in flood rescue, water rescue and ice rescue situations. It is available in three versions to better meet users' individual requirements.
"We are delighted to follow up on the first sale of these boats in the UK to Guernsey Ambulance & Rescue earlier this year with this supply to Humberside," says Ian Brindle, one of the partners at I.C. Brindle & Co. "The RTB-1 is a proven boat and we are confident it will provide years of trouble-free service to its users."
In addition to supplying the boats, I.C. Brindle & Co. is providing training in the maintenance and repair of the boats to Humberside Fire & Rescue. Our customers are, however, quick to point out that they do not expect many repairs having to be carried out.
