Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue has taken delivery of three new fire engines for the on-call fleet based in March, Ely and St Neots.
The new “smaller alternative” vehicles will be trialled by the firefighters along with new battery powered cutting equipment.
A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) said: “The kit is similar to that currently used, but doesn’t require wires or a power generator.”
Gary Mitchely, head of on-call response at CFRS, said: “We have invested in these alternative fire engines to trial a different way of responding to emergency calls.
“It is clear the need for certain equipment, such as a lightweight portable pump or a longer reach ladder isn’t there, which is why neither is included on these new engines.
“One of the pressures faced by our on-call staff is fitting significant amounts of training into two hours a week.
“By removing equipment that is not needed, firefighters can not only focus on the areas of training they will need to apply, but it also reduces the amount of training needed overall.”
Kevin Reynolds, chairman of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority, said: “We want to ensure we provide our firefighters with the best possible equipment to be able to respond to emergency calls and protect their local community effectively.
“This does mean we need to continually invest in equipment and trial new ways of doing things.
“These new fire engines are an exciting and innovative addition to the county’s fleet and I am looking forward to seeing them at stations in due course.”
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