Cleveland Fire Brigade has been supplied with 14 fully-equipped Octavia Scout models…in red, naturally. The multi-surface Octavia has been chosen to meet the high demands of the fire service, which operates over 370 square miles in the North East of England.
It runs currently a 125-strong fleet to support 560,000 local people and 249,000 dwellings in the area. The Scout was chosen to bolster the fleet due to its combination of class-leading space for rescue equipment, its excellent up-to-50mpg fuel economy, total dependability and exceptional value for money. Its rugged 4x4 drivetrain and additional underbody protection will ensure that the fire crew can attend call-outs speedily, with added security, regardless of the terrain and weather conditions, which can be very severe in some parts of the region.
To date, Cleveland Fire Brigade has taken receipt of 14 new Octavia Scout models, on a three-year lease programme. The vehicles are being used by officers attending emergency response incidents, such as large-scale fires and road traffic incidents.
Karen Winter, Director of Corporate Services, said: “The lease deal allows us to standardise our fleet and provide vital vehicles to our Flexible Duty Officers to respond to incidents quickly and safely, in all types of conditions.”
The vehicles are equipped with RSG blue light equipment, installed by Cygnal, and the cars also feature a ‘run lock’ system. This allows the keys to be removed from the ignition, while the engine is still running, to keep the emergency lights on, without causing the battery to go flat.
Skoda vehicles are chosen by all of the nation’s emergency services, because of their indefatigable qualities. The police use them as both Panda cars and Motorway Patrol vehicles but, equally, in plain trim, they serve purpose for CID and covert operations. The estate car variants are particularly practical, because of their long, unobstructed load decks, which allow folding road signs, cones, additional protective clothing and even lighting kits to be transported to emergencies.
Rapid Response ambulance departments also rely on Skoda Octavia Scouts for their go-almost-anywhere capabilities and their sheer robustness. However, driver and co-driver comfort is also a requirement, while readily accessible in-car storage is a useful aspect.
