Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service is 100 per cent Iveco

Guernsey Fire and Rescue Service has taken delivery of a new Iveco Eurocargo 100E22D, supplied by local Iveco distributor Bourgourd Ford.

The 4x2 vehicle is plated at 10 tonnes and benefits from a factory built crew cab, styled to blend with the familiar lines of the Eurocargo, which can accommodate the driver and up to six passengers. It marks the eighth Iveco to join the Guernsey fleet, making the Service the only predominately Iveco fire-fighting fleet in the UK.

The new appliance joins three existing Eurocargo 100E21’s, of which two are water tenders and one an emergency tender, two Eurocargo 100E23 water carriers, a Eurocargo 130E24K incident support unit, complete with a Moffett Mounty forklift truck for unloading the on-board lifesaving equipment, and a Magirus turntable ladder.

Responsible for covering the entire 25-square mile island, and protecting its 60,000 inhabitants, the Iveco Eurocargos have been selected as the preferred truck chassis by the Guernsey Fire and Rescue Service for its ability to meet the island’s unique criteria.

“To cope with the roads on Guernsey, we needed a vehicle with a good blend of power and handling, together with the availability of a narrow-track chassis offering the bodybuilding flexibility required for such a specialist application,” says Chief Fire Officer Ron Taylor.

“Any vehicle that joins the fleet operates at its maximum gross vehicle weight for its entire life with us and needs to be stable at both low and high speed. The Eurocargo has a proven track record for good all-round reliability, with the added benefit of being sourced from a local supplier, which is a necessity when working on a small island,” he adds.

This latest fleet replacement is powered by Iveco’s 5.9 litre Euro 4 tector engine, which is capable of producing up to 217 hp at 2,700 rev/min and up to 680 Nm of torque between 1,200 and 2,100 rev/min.

It is driven through an Allison World Series automatic transmission – also fitted on the Iveco factory line – and features a specialist modular Plastisol body which was supplied by The Vehicle Application Centre (TVAC), who were also responsible for the build and fitting out.

The vehicle is expected to remain in operation on Guernsey for approximately 12 years, with servicing and maintenance performed in the Services Workshop in close liaison with Bourgourd Ford’s facility in St. Peter’s Port, which is located approximately 1/2 mile from the Fire Station.