Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service launch new UTV Polaris vehicle, based at Tuxford Fire Station, to assist with rural firefighting

A brand-new vehicle has been launched and ready to help fight rural fires across the county.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service have introduced the new vehicle — a UTV Polaris — following a huge increase of rural fire incidents across Nottinghamshire in the summer months of 2022.

A service delivery and improvement project was launched to ensure fire crews had advanced equipment to enhance their ability to respond effectively to any incidents, including rural and woodland firefighting.

The Polaris will be used as a ‘misting unit’, and is equipped with a firefighting pump that will allow crews to reach deeper into wooded areas than a traditional fire engine would allow, in turn improving the service’s ability to access difficult to reach areas, as well as reducing time and effort spent transporting both people and water to remote fires.

The unit will be based at Tuxford Fire Station where firefighters have been undergoing training to ensure they’re ready to use the vehicle when needed.

Tom Staples, group manager for response, said: “In Summer 2022 we saw an increase in outdoor fires and this year we wanted to be more ready than ever and to be prepared for all eventualities.

“We have recently introduced the firefighters at Tuxford Fire Station to the new misting unit, where they've carried out training with the vehicle, to ensure they know exactly how to use it at incidents.

“We are excited to see the vehicle out at incidents and being used by crews — it will help us deal with incidents more effectively, with the ultimate goal of becoming an outstanding public service, with local communities at the heart of everything we do.”