World’s best protection comes to rescue
Feb 3 2009 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette
A TEAM protecting hundreds of millions of pounds worth of industrial assets has invested in new equipment to boost its ability to deal with emergencies.
Sembcorp UK’s Protection team has purchased a £270,000 fire engine featuring some of world’s best fire fighting and chemical spill protection technology.
The Volvo FM440 unit was built by specialist coachbuilders in Southern France to Sembcorp’s exact specifications and is now permanently positioned at the Sembcorp Fire Station on the Wilton International site on Teesside.
Capable of delivering 3,000 gallons per minute of water onto a target and with the ability to switch quickly to a foam or powder attack depending on the nature of the hazard, the machine will be used in a lead role in emergencies and will complement Sembcorp’s even larger volume “Liquidator” fire engine.
Greg Richardson, Sembcorp Protection’s engineering and technical manager, said: “It looks exactly like a conventional fire engine but is far more effective - a truly fantastic piece of kit.
“We’ve used all of our knowledge and experience to develop a hybrid unit which combines the best of ‘first turnout’ and high pumping appliances.
“It will substantially enhance our ability to provide a high volume attack at an early stage of an incident, minimising danger to people and plants.”
Fire fighter safety has been carefully considered in the positioning of the fire pump control panel at the back of the appliance, providing a work area clear of side hoses and potential tripping hazards.
In addition, a 3,000 gallon a minute “gun” on the top of the vehicle with a range of around 100 metres can be remotely controlled - another important safety feature preventing the need for a person to be positioned on the roof.
Water and foam can be delivered using an injector system which ensures only the correct amount of foam is used - minimising the impact on the environment.
The unit also has excellent water suction capability making it more effective in dealing with flooded areas.
Training is now underway and the machine will be used in a number of emergency exercises on the site in the coming year.
