Bob
5th July 2005, 02:33
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service are trialling the use of a Honda ST1300 Pan European to assess the levels of support needed at fires.
The 12 month pilot scheme will see the bike used to race through traffic and assess the scene as the main fire crews are en-route, allowing crews to return to their station quickly if the call-out turns out to be a false alarm, as well as letting them be better prepared if a major fire is escalating, or if a person is trapped in a building.
Chief Fire Officer Tony McGuirk said "Motorcycles have been extensively used in other parts of the world. Italy, Germany, Japan and other countries all use motorbikes as an initial response in heavy congestion. But this will be a first, certainly for the North West, and is part of our ongoing plans to develop and improve our response to incidents in innovative ways."
Historically, 97% of Automatic Fire Alarms (AFAs) turn out to be unwanted fire signals.
The 12 month pilot scheme will see the bike used to race through traffic and assess the scene as the main fire crews are en-route, allowing crews to return to their station quickly if the call-out turns out to be a false alarm, as well as letting them be better prepared if a major fire is escalating, or if a person is trapped in a building.
Chief Fire Officer Tony McGuirk said "Motorcycles have been extensively used in other parts of the world. Italy, Germany, Japan and other countries all use motorbikes as an initial response in heavy congestion. But this will be a first, certainly for the North West, and is part of our ongoing plans to develop and improve our response to incidents in innovative ways."
Historically, 97% of Automatic Fire Alarms (AFAs) turn out to be unwanted fire signals.