Co-Responders in Freshwater and Ventnor are familiarising themselves with their new vehicles as they say goodbye to the old red vans and hello to modern estate cars.
Up until now, Citroen Berlingo vans have been a common sight in the West and South Wight as the Co-Ros respond to medical emergencies in the local community, both night and day. But the time has now come to replace them.
A total of 3 Ford Focus estates have been prepared by Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service’s Technical Services department, transforming them from officers cars used on the mainland to high-visibility Co-Responder rapid response cars.
The marked vehicles will be used by the Isle of Wight’s 2 Co-Responders with the 3rd vehicle acting as a spare, ensuring that both first responders are always on the road.
The new cars – which are 7 years old – are very different to the vans of old so time is being taken to learn the new vehicles and how best to respond in them prior to going live later this month.
What is a Co-Responder?
These are Firefighters with medical emergency skills that are tasked and respond for the Ambulance Service. Co-Responders attend a variety of incidents from cardiac arrests to road traffic collisions.
How can they be New Cars when they are seven years old , they are second hand , hand me downs probably left overs due to the Cut Backs in Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service .
As with anything you get, second hand or not, it is new to you when you first get it.
New to the Co-responder service, read the article!
Only due to Cut Backs in Hampshire fire and rescue service .
Lets just be really grateful that we’ve got them shall we and appreciate the brilliant job these lovely people do!!
Hand me down cars that HFRS charity to the Isle of wight. When did the Isle of Wight Fire Service get sold out by its senior management and council, and lose its pride to the patronising takeover by the Hampshire empire builders and asset strippers.