Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service involved in 11 collisions in 3 months
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service vehicles were involved in 11 collisions between January and March, a meeting heard on Tuesday (July 15).
A report presented to the Fire and Rescue Authority said the service had failed to meet its target for reducing fleet vehicle collisions.
All 11 incidents were attributed to “service driver error”; six occurred during emergency responses, four while returning from incidents, and one during routine activity.
Councillor Michael Headley (Bedford Borough Council) asked for more information on how such incidents are handled.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Jason Tai said the service’s annual target is fewer than 35 collisions, but 50 were recorded over the year.
He said a full review has been requested to identify any trends. A previous review had shown an increase in accidents while reversing, prompting changes to policies and equipment.
“As a result of that, we changed our processes,” he said. “We now have two bank persons guiding vehicles while reversing. They wear high-vis jackets and use radios to communicate with the driver.”
ACFO Tai added that all vehicles now have six cameras, up from five, to address blind spots at the rear.
However, the service is now seeing a rise in collisions while vehicles are moving forward at low speeds, particularly incidents involving wing mirrors being damaged by parked cars on parking restricted roads.
“Crews are taking a really proactive stance on trying to get parking restrictions enforced in those areas,” he said. “And our new vehicles will be narrower than the current stock.”
Members were told that every incident is investigated using camera footage and telematics data, and that drivers receive additional training if needed.