Ahead of what is looking to be another hot summer, I joined local farmer Ian Watson, NFU representatives and members of the Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service for a demonstration of how a special fire engine adapter is being used to tackle potentially devastating wildfires. The demonstration took place at Ian’s farm in Louth.
Last year the local Louth & Alford branches of the NFU took up Ian Watson’s campaign for an adaptor which can be carried by the fire services that enables them to access farm water sources such as bowsers and tankers to be rolled out across the county. As the local MP, I worked with the group to secure enough funding to make sure that all fire engines in the county had access to this vital equipment. This campaign was also supported by other NFU offices in the County, the NFU, Anglian Water and the Environment Agency who all contributed to the purchasing of these essential adapters.
This campaign also fostered positive communication between local farmers and the fire service, leading to more than 1100 farmers attending fire safety training since March 2022. With the hotter temperatures, farms have begun to experience the value of this adapter and of this fire training which are vital to keeping our farms and crops safe.
Now that every engine is equipped with the two-inch adapter the group are turning their efforts to build on their collaboration and improve the Fire Services ability to access water on farms further. Ian and the group now working on a second style of adapter which will enable the fire service to attach to three-inch water bowsers and tankers. The NFU say that this will ensure that Lincolnshire Fire Services will be able to connect to any available water supply on farms in the county.
It was fantastic to be able to see this vital piece of kit in action. I was pleased to be able to support the rollout of these adapters, the importance of which has already been shown in tackling a number of wildfires last year. It is great news that as the summer season comes along all fire engines across the constituency are equipped with this adapter.
I am pleased to be continuing my work with Ian and the NFU on this great initiative with the rollout this second type of fire engine adapter.
I would like to thank Ian for all of his work on this important campaign and for hosting us all at his farm for this demonstration. I’d also like to thank Rhonda Thompson from the NFU and the local NFU branches as well as Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service for supporting this event and this important campaign.
