Special photoshoot with Lord Montagu at Beaulieu Estate for village’s new advanced fire engine

A TRADITIONAL snap with Lord Montagu at the Beaulieu Estate launched the village’s new, more advanced fire engine.

The light rescue pump (LRP) is more compact and agile and better equipped than the water tender it replaces.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service says it will benefit the community and crews in a number of ways.

These include having the latest battery-powered hydraulic rescue equipment for road crashes, as well as battery-powered drills, saws and lighting.

It has an ultra-high-pressure lance to blast water through concrete and steel, reducing the need to send crew inside.

More manoeuvrable for congested city streets and rural roads, it has a ‘clean cab’ design, allowing any equipment with contaminants like smoke, soot or chemicals to be stored away from crew.

Following a tradition dating back to 1909, crew were joined by Lord Montagu as they posed with the new vehicle.

Station manager Adam Glasspool said the LRP “brings many benefits in terms of keeping our communities and crews safer”.

It is one of 31 identical appliances being put in service across the region over the next two years.

Find out more about all of HIWFRS’s vehicles at tinyurl.com/3kdep358