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Axe-threat ALP is army saviour

Liam Chronnell
31/ 1/2003

A SPECIALIST fire engine which could be axed as part of a fire service review has been endorsed by army officers covering the firefighters' strike.

An Aerial Ladder Platform which helps firefighters reach fires in tall buildings, was used twice during the army's busiest ever day in the city on Tuesday.

It was used to tackle two big empty derelict house blazes - prompting local firefighters to underline their claim that the ALP should be saved.

Salford fireman Ben Levy told us: "The chief and fire authority are saying we don't need the ALP in Salford - but they have made sure the army have got one when we are on strike.

"The best value review said that we don't use the ALP how it is supposed to be used - but the army are using it to put out fires on terraced houses and the Maypole Pub and that's how we would use it."

An Army spokesperson said the ALP had been invaluable during their 48hour cover this week. He said: "The ALP does very much what it says on the tin. If you are obstructed on the way to a blaze, all you do is elevate yourself 120ft above the flames - which is ideal as flames go up.

"The ALP is based in Salford because we cover most of Manchester and as far west as Wigan. It is based here because of the proximity to the M62"

After firefighters started industrial action on Tuesday, army crews reported their busiest-ever period with two large fires in Langworthy.

At 10am, one red goddess engine, an ALP and a breathing apparatus team attended a fierce blaze in Alder Street.

Before the fire was completely extinguished, the ALP was moved to another emergency where an unoccupied house in Hodge Lane had also been set alight.

Three green goddesses responded and extinguished the blaze in under an hour.

Later in the afternoon, a vehicle outside Pendleton Coroner's Court and The Maypole Public House on Broad Street, near the Salford-Manchester border was also set ablaze. No-one was injured throughout the day.