Surrey firefighters get new hi-tech kit

Surrey firefighters are being equipped with new hi-tech breathing equipment.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service has invested almost £900,000 in the new kit which it said enhanced communications.

The 190 new sets of equipment also include electronic devices which calculate how long the air supply will last in a burning building.

This investment comes after Surrey County Council's cabinet agreed in July to buy 12 new fire engines to replace a number of Surrey's ageing appliances.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service teamed up with the eight other fire services in the south-east of England to use their collective purchasing power to drive down costs.

As well as buying breathing equipment, the service has purchased uniforms for each of its 750 firefighters and kit such as helmets and fire-resistant tunics and trousers.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service's Assistant Chief Officer Paul Oughton said: "This investment in new fire engines, operational equipment and uniforms for our firefighters will better protect our firefighters and the communities they serve."