Fire Engines Photos

A 44 meter Bronto.

Perhaps London will buy one or two after the Grenfell Tower fire. Tall aerials are not a solution to high rise fires, but it would at least be a small step in the right direction.

The real answer of course is appropriate building and fire codes, with rigorous enforcement and frequent inspections by the very firefighters who will be responding to the same structure if it burns...

In the meantime, until these problems are solved (which might take decades), London could do the same as other third World cities with high rise towers, and buy some tall Brontos.

Oh, and by the way - unlike the Grenfell Tower fire debacle - they could actually dispatch one or two to every high rise fire call, without waiting half an hour for a "make-up" call.

Added by Rob Johnson on 25 April 2018.

Rob, I'm sure I've heard it somewhere that London does have some extra height ALPs on order. But it took the deaths of nearly 100 people before they saw the need for it. Typical of Britain that....

Added by Yelp Bullhorn on 27 April 2018.

Has there not been some outcry in the UK in that the Freemasons have paid for two 44m Brontos for London?

Added by Andy on 28 April 2018.

Andy, a few indignant nobodies on the news guffed and snorted a little, but it failed to reach outcry proportions. I think most Brits couldn't care less who is paying for them! The Freemasons, Putin, Isis, Darth Vader.... People just aren't bothered, or so it seems.

Personally I think it's a great gift -- if indeed that's what it boils down to. I just don't agree with the Masons' emblems being plastered all over them though. But apparently, that's the deal. But then again, it is only sponsorship; and these days many UK fire appliances moonlight as billboards, so, in the grand scheme of things, I don't suppose it really matters. I just hope firefighters aren't forced to roll-up a trouser leg when crewing the things!

Added by Yelp Bullhorn on 02 May 2018.

For nostalgia buffs, it seems Britain has returned to the days when the local lady bountiful was the only way the village could afford to buy the parish pump. Some progress!

Added by Rob Johnson on 03 May 2018.

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