NEW LEASE OF LIFE IN IRELAND FOR ISLAND’S FORMER RESCUE TENDER

A former Isle of Wight fire engine is starting a new life on the Island of Ireland with the Cork County Fire Service. The John Dennis-built Mercedes Atego Rescue Tender served on the Isle of Wight from 2007 until the end of 2022. Based out of Newport since new, the rescue tender – or RT – attended the most serious of road traffic collisions and other emergencies where additional equipment may be required. After 16 years of service, it was replaced by a 2014 former Hampshire-based Response Support Vehicle, as exclusively reported by Island Echo back in January. It’s understood that Scanias and Mercedes pumping appliances are to be phased out in the coming months and years in favour of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service’s preferred marque, Volvo. Now, less than a year after leaving the Isle of Wight, the old Rescue Tender has been spruced up and given a new lease of life over 450 miles away. According to HPMP Fire, the vehicle which previously carried the registration mark HW56 AEC has been sold to the Cork County Fire Service. It is expected that the appliance will be station in 1 of the larger border towns in the county of Cork.