London Fire Brigade assists as Kent vehicles fail

Kent Fire and Rescue Service has admitted it had to use a vehicle and crew from the London Fire Brigade (LFB) to fight a blaze after all its height vehicles were out of action.

A flat fire broke out near Grove Road, close to Dover Road, in Folkestone on Tuesday and one person was treated for smoke inhalation.

Matthew Deadman, director of response and resilience at Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) says its three height vehicles are "temporarily unavailable due to technical issues".

A KFRS spokesperson told the BBC the LFB height vehicle which is temporarily based in Maidstone was crewed by LFB personnel, who start and finish their shifts at their usual station in London.

Deadman said KFRS was "working at pace" to bring one back into service as soon as possible.

"In the meantime, we are utilising a pre-planned agreement with our colleagues at London Fire Brigade to have one of their height vehicles based in the county," Deadman says .

He added KFRS continued to invest in its fleet and equipment to maintain its response capability across Kent.

Deadman said new specialist vehicles had already been delivered this year and a contract had been signed for new fire engines, with the first 11 expected within the next 12 months.

He explained the investment would help crews respond to changing risks and ensure they have the equipment they need.

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