A new kit bag is being introduced on all London Fire Brigade fire engines to help crews carry equipment from appliances to the scenes of incidents.
The new Fire Initial Response Equipment (F.I.R.E) bag was trialled after firefighters highlighted the challenges of carrying multiple pieces of equipment to the bridgehead – the main scene of operations where breathing apparatus crews are sent in - at incidents at high-rise buildings.
Station Manager Sami Goldbrom, from the Brigade’s Operational Policy team, said: “The new F.I.R.E bag is a great piece of kit which will make it easier for firefighters to carry equipment from one place to another.
“We developed the bag after crews said it could sometimes be difficult to carry all the required equipment to the bridgehead, particularly at high-rise incidents where this entry and exit point may be several floors above ground.
“The new kit bags are designed to be a ‘grab and go’ solution to efficiently and systematically transport the essential items of equipment required at the bridgehead in the early stages of an incident.”
The F.I.R.E bag contains multiple pieces of equipment including a dry riser wheel to replace missing or damaged riser wheels, adjustable 154mm spanner to assist in loosening or tightening rise wheels, door stoppers, searched signs for marking rooms as searched and LFB access keys.
Inside the bag, equipment is contained within pouches secured by Velcro panels and straps.
Made from high visibility orange Duraskin material, the bag is designed to be worn as a backpack and weighs a maximum of 16kg.
When not in use, the F.I.R.E bag will be stored filled with all its equipment on the fire engine ready for its next use.
The new F.I.R.E bags were delivered to all pump and pump ladders at all fire stations across the Brigade last month.