Two former fire engines from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) are now helping to save lives in Ukraine.
The vehicles were retired from frontline duty and replaced with newer models as part of an ongoing upgrade to the service’s fleet.
Passed on for humanitarian use
HIWFRS sold the engines back to their original manufacturer, Angloco. Rather than scrapping them, Angloco passed them on to Action Beyond Words, a humanitarian organisation supporting emergency services in war-affected regions.
One of the appliances is now in Mizhhiria, in the west of Ukraine. The other has been delivered to Zmiiv in the north-east of the country, where it is helping to tackle fires in the Kharkiv region, close to the Russian border.
Helping save lives overseas
Colin Carter, fleet operations manager at HIWFRS, welcomed the news.
He said,
“We are delighted to see our old vehicles recycled to help our firefighting colleagues out in Ukraine.
“These fire engines had served their purpose here in Hampshire and Isle of Wight, and had been replaced by more modern vehicles, so it is great to see that they are still of use and continue to help to save lives, thanks to the work of Angloco and Actions Beyond Words.”
Supporting the service at home
HIWFRS confirmed that once a fire appliance reaches the end of its service life in the UK, it is sold on, with any proceeds reinvested into maintaining and improving the fire service locally.
