Surrey Fire and Rescue Service has introduced a new driver training vehicle with safety crew cab, based on a Scania P320 DB 4x2 18-tonner.
The vehicle, supplied by TruckEast Wellingborough, has bodywork by Kurt Hobbs Coachwork of Kettering and the five-seat Scania crew-cab is of all-steel construction for maximum safety in operation. There is a computer and monitor in front of the three rear seats allowing this area of the vehicle to be used as a mobile training room, therefore saving time as instruction can be given to trainees without the need to return to the classroom.
The truck’s box body can carry eight 1,000-litre Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs), six of which are filled with water to simulate realistic operating conditions. At the rear, the body has standard doors with an internal securing mechanism to provide a clear area for graphics and safety messages.
The vehicle has the capacity to fulfil three separate roles - conventional truck training, fire appliance training, and the ability to function as an incident support unit when required. Rory Coulter, head of logistics for Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The new training vehicle is the outcome of a detailed examination of operational needs.
"Previously, we relied on a regular truck for Category C training, with trainees then progressing to one of our front line fire appliances for Emergency Fire Appliance Driver (EFAD) training. Now, one truck serves both purposes, with the added bonus that we have an additional vehicle that can be used as a front line incident support unit as and when needed.
"TruckEast has a well-deserved reputation as a specialist appliance supplier to the fire industry and was therefore a natural choice for the project management role here.” Surrey Fire and Rescue Service has a total of 31 Scanias in its fleet, comprising 24 water tenders, three tankers, two aerial platforms and two training vehicles.
