Rolls-Royce donates equipment to mark fire service partnership

Rolls-Royce Submarines has donated £60,000 of specialist equipment as part of a wider partnership with Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service.

The donation of training equipment builds on an already close working relationship between the two organisations, with Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service playing an active role in emergency exercises at the engineering giant’s Raynesway site several times a year.

As part of the partnership, Rolls-Royce’s own Emergency Response Unit will be granted access to state-of-the-art training facilities at Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service’s training centre and various other locations across Derbyshire.

These facilities include modern breathing apparatus training complexes, where Rolls-Royce staff will enhance their operational readiness and train on purpose-built structures in a real heat and smoke environment.

This will greatly enhance their capability when responding to any on-site incident.

In addition, Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service has agreed to enrol two Rolls-Royce staff in its in-house training programme, which will see them complete the same course as Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service new recruits, to the same standards.

This collaborative approach will enhance operational capability, allowing teams from both organisations to be more agile and efficient in response times, while also aligning a joint understanding of risk and management of emergencies at Rolls-Royce premises in Derby.

Rolls-Royce Submarines currently employs more than 5,000 people and designs, manufactures and provides in-service support to the pressurised water reactors that power every boat in the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet.

James Cowell, director – safety, security and licensee authority for Rolls-Royce Submarines said: “Over the years we have built strong partnerships with many local stakeholders, and none more so than with the Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service.

“By collaborating together on our safety and emergency exercises and ensuring we share expertise and site knowledge across first responders, we can keep our Raynesway site safe for everyone.”