Crews welcome arrival of new Ranger vehicle

A brand-new, state-of-the-art Ranger vehicle has been unveiled at a South Staffordshire fire station today (Friday 23 September).

Crews based at Kinver now have a new tool at their disposal - which better prepares them to respond to any incidents in the region.

The 4x4 vehicle carries 200 metres of wildfire hose, with firefighting backpacks and a high-pressure blower on-board, giving crews an array of different options to use in the event of a serious wildfire.

Predominantly, firefighters use hose reel jets to tackle large blazes in open areas like Cannock Chase, but with the introduction of the new Ranger, they can use the specialist backpacks to target smaller areas of land and better isolate wildfires from spreading beyond control.

These backpacks (pictured below) contain water stores which are connected to hand-held hoses, enabling firefighters to dampen areas as they navigate their surroundings.

The Ranger also carries a lightweight Whisper Light Portable Pump (LPP) which can transfer large quantities of open water to a main jet or wildfire hose.

The new vehicle also serves as an extra resource as we head into the colder months. It can be converted and used to extract water from flooded areas, relieving both firefighters and local residents in the affected areas.

Any Staffordshire fire station can request the Ranger, which is available for crews on a 24/7 basis.

Crew Manager Paul White, who is based at Kinver Community Fire Station, said: “The introduction of the new Ranger furthers our capability as a Fire Service to respond to any incident and eventuality.

“We have a wide-range of beauty spots in Staffordshire which all come with their own fire safety risks.

“As a Service, we want to reassure the public that our firefighters, their training and the equipment they have at their disposal gives them all the means necessary to keep them safe.”