Keys to a new fire engine for Windsor will be handed over to the crew next Friday.

Cllr Angus Ross, Royal Berkshire Fire Authority’s Lead Member for Strategic Assets will be doing the honours at Windsor Royal Shopping centre at 2.30pm.

One of Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s (RBFRS) specialist equipment officers will also talk through some of the features of the new engine and a safety team will be on hand to advise to members of the public about how they can stay safe.

The new fire engine has been brought as part of a joint project between fire services from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire, which saw Slough get a new machine last year.

The new machines offer larger hose reels for water to be delivered more quickly to fires, plus battery-powered rescue equipment for use at road traffic incidents. This is easier to carry and less bulky than hydraulic equipment, less hazardous and removes generator noise from rescue situations. The equipment is also much quicker to deploy, speeding up the rescue of people who are trapped and injured.

Improved mobile lighting for better visibility at the scene of an incident and a more comfortable seating area for crews are included - especially important as firefighters are typically spending more time in the fire engines completing prevention work such as Safe and Well visits.

The fire engines will include a standardised inventory across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire – making it easier for firefighters to ensure a swift and effective response when called to emergencies where two services are in attendance.

Councillor Ross said: “I would like to thank our officer team, together with our colleagues at Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, for developing a state of the art specification which has enabled the incorporation of many new features to improve the capabilities for our firefighters and to build in the opportunity for greater collaboration between services."