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The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has welcomed London Fire Brigade’s new fire boats to the Thames as part of a £40 million investment made by City Hall to expand the Brigade’s fleet of equipment and vehicles.
The two new boats are named after Auxiliary Fireman Harry Errington and Auxiliary Firewoman Gillian Tanner, who in the Second World War were both awarded medals for bravery. They are based at the Lambeth River station and allow the Brigade to work alongside the Metropolitan Police and RNLI keeping the river safe.
Twice as fast as the two previous vessels, the new boats can reach speeds of forty knots. They can carry more life-saving equipment than ever before. As well as hoses that allow crews to fight fires from the river, the boats are fitted with a hydraulic crane for carrying out rescues from the water and a high-definition thermal imaging camera.
Speaking at the new addition to the river based fleet, London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said, “The Brigade is transforming for London and our brand-new fire boats are the latest improvements to the new equipment we are rolling out. Our investment of around £40 million on our fleet over the last few years is part of our commitment to do all we can to meet the changing needs of our communities and keep Londoners safe long into the future; the fireboats will be a fantastic new addition to our fleet.”
The call signs for the boats are H23A and H23B, a reference to Adam Mere and Billy Faust, two London firefighters who died fighting a fire in 2004.
Photo credit: London Fire Brigade.