Fire Service College loses 11 appliances in a fire.

[G-CPTN]

A fleet of 11 fire engines worth £1.3m and belonging to the national Fire Service College in Gloucestershire has been destroyed in a blaze.

The engines, costing £116,000 each, were stored in a workshop at the college in Moreton-in-Marsh, along with diesel and hydraulic oil.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service sent 58 firefighters to the fire. Crews from two other counties assisted.

(from, and more at:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...re/8053733.stm)

See also:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8053666.stm
and:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...re/8053313.stm

Some time ago there was a regional fire station that was destroyed by fire - including all the appliances.
You would think that they would have alarms to protect them . . .

[Western SMT]

The Fire Service College was established in 1968 and is run by an executive agency under the authority of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

It caters for 500 students at any one time and more than 7,000 firefighters pass through its doors every year - some 300,000 personnel since it opened.
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue later disclosed that sprinklers had not been fitted to the building because there was "not enough risk to life" to justify the cost.

"It is essentially a large warehouse with lots of open doors, so in terms of risk assessment it would not qualify,"

[G-CPTN]

Stable door, horse bolted . . .

[G-CPTN]

Fire brigades across the country have rushed replacement engines to the national Fire Service College so training can go ahead as normal.
"It's very much business as usual," said a college spokesman.
With the help of the Chief Fire Officers' Association, replacement appliances were sent from various parts of the country.
"They were all in place by Sunday," said the spokesman.
"Our machine numbers are back up and we are very grateful for their prompt response.
"Everyone rallied round admirably."

(from, and more at:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...re/8055409.stm )

[coastie]

There's something sad about the site of a burnt out fire engine. Or any Emergency Vehicle, come to that.