July 27, 2010: Fire Bike

An old idea resurrected in Britain, using especially equipped motorcycles to get to fires quickly, and taking care of small fires themselves.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service is trialling two motorbikes which will be sent out instead of fire engines if fires are not deemed a threat to people or buildings. The 1,200cc bikes by BMW cost about £30,000 in total each to buy and to equip so they are suitable for firemen to use.

A spokesman for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said: "About 60 per cent of what we do is putting out "rubbish fires". These are fires that don't pose a threat to people or buildings. If approved this trial would enable us to buy more bikes and have them in stations where they have the highest incidences of these kind of fires. It is an expensive bike but then a fire appliance costs £250,000. It also means roads aren't blocked with 17 tonne fire engines which will be carrying life-saving equipment that could be used elsewhere."

Like I said, not a new idea, but new technologies make it much more practical.



link

I like the red one better.

The helmets are more interesting too.

I think a trike would be a better, safer design, especially considering the weight packed on the bike and the environments where it will be driven. And painted flames. And Ponch from CHiPs and Johnny from Emergency! , and then a television crew to follow them and... I'm babbling, aren't I?

Definitely painted flames.

That would be so cool.

And if firefighters are always getting laid - think how much action a motorcycle firefighter would get!

They should design a helmet that can be a crash helmet and a fire fighting helmet. They must waste a good 30 seconds switching helmets.

sweetwater;672953 wrote:

I think a trike would be a better, safer design, especially considering the weight packed on the bike and the environments where it will be driven. And painted flames. And Ponch from CHiPs and Johnny from Emergency! , and then a television crew to follow them and... I'm babbling, aren't I?

But isn't one of the points that a bike can get where a car/truck can't and doesn't block traffic in the same way? A trike would get stuck and cause more blockages. British roads are not as wide as American ones, but there is usually room to pass a bike.

Right, and could get by on the sidewalk (pavement) if necessary. :yesnod:

monster;673001 wrote:

But isn't one of the points that a bike can get where a car/truck can't and doesn't block traffic in the same way? A trike would get stuck and cause more blockages. British roads are not as wide as American ones, but there is usually room to pass a bike.

But a trike is just so much cooler.

Gravdigr;673166 wrote:

But a trike is just so much cooler.

A Fire Trike might be cool, because firefighters tend to be into big trucks and gear, and you could put more chrome and tech on three wheels. But to say that big wheels for grandpas are cooler than choppers and bobbers, denies the danger cool axiom. :cool: But maybe I'm just saying this because I'm not 6 years old anymore.

Why does that 'fire nozzle' look like a fire starter.


Hey! The pictures were reversed! There was a book reported as being seen on the front seat. He's driving away after starting the fire!


This is really secret shots of a Fahrenheit 451 event!!

SPUCK;673189 wrote:

Why does that 'fire nozzle' look like a fire starter.


Hey! The pictures were reversed! There was a book reported as being seen on the front seat. He's driving away after starting the fire!


This is really secret shots of a Fahrenheit 451 event!!

Listen to me, Montag. Once to each fireman, at least once in his career, he just itches to know what these books are all about. He just aches to know. Isn't that so?

JuancoRocks;673352 wrote:

Listen to me, Montag. Once to each fireman, at least once in his career, he just itches to know what these books are all about. He just aches to know. Isn't that so?

:p: