A RED Cross team has received a boost to its crisis response with the arrival of a new emergency response vehicle.
The custom-built Ford Ranger will be based at Hastings Community Fire Station and used during Red Cross emergency call-outs when people find themselves in a crisis due to a fire, flood, evacuation or other emergency.
British Red Cross senior emergency response officer Amanda Carcary said the new, state-of-the-art vehicle is great news for East Sussex Red Cross and local residents.
“It provides everything we need to be able to help people who find themselves unexpectedly in a crisis,” she said.
“It’s a big improvement on the old vehicle – more economical, greener and better equipped with the latest technology.”
The new all-wheel drive vehicle, which has space for five people, replaces a long serving camper van.
The Ford Ranger comes equipped with blankets, clothes, hygiene packs, baby and pet supplies, refreshments, first aid kits, a defibrillator, a fridge, a water heater, a chiller box, lighting for night time responses and power packs for charging phones and electrical devices.
Its environmentally friendly design also means the engine charges up the internal power system, which can then run for hours without the engine idling.
Emergency response volunteer Helena Coryndon, 50, from Hastings, began volunteering during lockdown and has seen the difference the Red Cross can make - most recently during a kitchen flood at the home of a man in his 90s.
She said the man was left with no electricity and a damaged kitchen.
“We were able to come in and help him clean up, sort it out and make sure he was on the phone to the right people.
“I was glad we were there and it was the first time I’d seen the new style vehicle, which had come to support us from Maidstone. It was great to see it in action.”
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service station manager in Hastings, Craig Williams said the new vehicle is an invaluable asset.
“The old one has been used on numerous occasions and this new vehicle will continue to provide much-needed support to people we assist at a potentially traumatic time,” he said.
“It is a much-used resource at both operational incidents and at community events and we thank the Red Cross for their on-going support within the community.”
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