Fire Engines Photos

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Added by Petros on 20 August 2023.

I wonder if Avon still have this hovercraft? I’m does sound like it has proved to be a very useful piece of equipment. Do other British fire services use them too? Although I admit that I have not surveyed this use of hovercraft by fire services in other countries, it seems they are very rare.

Ed: Gloucestershire were given one by Italian authorities after especially bad floods a few year ago but it did not survive long. Avon still use theirs in the Severn estuary, and vast area of dangerous mudflats with the largest tidal range in the world.

Added by Rob Johnson on 22 August 2023.

Heathrow Airport Fire Service, used to have one for use on the marshy ground and the reservoirs around the outskirts of Heathrow Airport

Ed: Morecambe Bay (again a vast area of dangerous tidal mud flats) has one but that is RNLI not FRS.

Merseyside has one, because the airport is right next to the Mersey

www.flickr.com/photos/129305128@N08/50202637068/in/photolist-2jueCY5-oZEjue-oZEnFV-oZBo8J-pE1mYj-HwLqfi-4A1yhR-4A1zGX-4A5Ny9-4A5PNU-4A5P6N-4A1C1P-4A1A9P-4A5Tps-4A5NLm-4A5RKw-4A5RiW-4A5Pzu-4A1xqR-4A5NjQ-4A1zjD-fx8Fdh-4A2ioc-fx8niu-fwT4VF-fwT5bn-fwT5mi-fwT5rX-fwT5CP-fx8nvS-fwT576-fx8FH5-fx8p2J-fx8oCy-fwT6Lk-fx8nKU-fwT6jK-fx8sSd-fx8nZY-fx8qsq-fx8pEJ-fwT7d6-fwT7Cr-fwT7hD-fwT5Vc-fx8oNq-fwT5ZT-fx8qNN-fx8oiC-fwTacH


Gloucs was paid for by water company apparently - perhaps the machines were Italian- never used!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-27722925



Added by Christopher Stone on 24 August 2023.

Thanks Christopher, very good informative!

I wonder f they would be useful for water rescues on rivers and lakes too, in locations where launching options for conventional boats are limited, but I have never heard about any being used like this.

Added by Rob Johnson on 24 August 2023.

Hi Rob, Yes Avon still have the hovercraft based at WSM - there was a feature about it on their website recently - it has apparently saved more lives than any other vehicle in the Service. Jon

Added by Jon Godden on 24 August 2023.

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