Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) has expanded its fleet of fire engines for the second time in a year, with 52 fire engines now serving the city region.
The latest additional frontline engine has officially gone on the run at Moss Side Community Fire Station.
The fire engine was unveiled on Friday 19 September, at an event attended by Deputy Mayor for Safer and Stronger Communities Kate Green, alongside GMFRS Chief Fire Officer Dave Russel and station-based colleagues.
The introduction of this appliance is partly a result of additional investment in Greater Manchester’s communities coming out of GMFRS’s 2023 Fire Cover Review. This review looked at how GMFRS could best adapt its resilience and operational preparedness in a constantly growing and changing city region, keeping public safety at the forefront of everything it does.
GMFRS is one of the only fire and rescue services in the UK increasing and improving its fleet. The new fire engines are part of a bigger investment in the service, including £3.5m to replace 15 current fire engines with brand new greener and state-of-the-art models.
This is the second fire engine added to the fleet following the review; the first engine was introduced to Manchester Central Community Station in December 2024 – the first addition to its fleet in more than 18 years. This does not just mean more fire cover for the city centre, as the additional fire engines are also available to respond to emergencies outside the city centre, if needed
Greater Manchester already has some of the fastest response times in the country and the increased capacity will help to improve those even further.
The new fire engines will also see additional crew members based at Moss Side to increase the capacity for prevention and protection-focused outreach in some of the highest-risk areas.
