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THE breakdown of another new fire engine hit Cambridgeshire’s emergency cover yesterday after bosses ignored firefighters’ warnings about their unreliability.
Cambridgeshire fire service was warned by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) 12 days ago that the new £650,000 Multistar Combined Aerial Rescue Appliances were unreliable.
One of the vehicles broke down and was withdrawn from service yesterday.
It was the second breakdown involving a Multistar and the first took place during an emergency mobilisation.
The experimental vehicle combines a fire engine with a high-reach aerial vehicle.
Its latest breakdown leaves the historic city of Cambridge without a high-reach aerial capacity while the Multistar is repaired, the local FBU said.
“This proves why fire chiefs should have listened to the concerns of the professionals serving on the front line who are the experts in using the equipment and the ones who must rely on it during emergencies,” said FBU Cambridge secretary Cameron Matthews.
“Instead, our community and firefighters are now at unnecessary risk.”
