Greater Manchester has its first new fire engine in 18 years

A few years ago the possible closure of Manchester Central fire station was touted. It stands on a prime site near the city centre and the old service training centre at the back has been replaced by a new one in Bury.

The sale of the site could have generated millions of pounds. But in a complete about turn, today the station in Thompson Street unveiled Greater Manchester Fire Service's 51st fire engine to be based there. There are now no plans to close the station.

The reason for the change is two-fold - the Grenfell Tower disaster in London which killed 72 people, and the huge number of tower blocks either already built, under construction, or that are planned in the city centre.

In total, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service has invested £3.5m in replacing 15 fire engines in the city area with state-of-the-art greener vehicles, buying two additional appliances, recruiting extra crews, and carrying out upgrades at stations.

The additional engine at Manchester Central is GMFRS’s 51st, marking the first addition to its fleet in more than 18 years.

It is the first of two fire engines that are being added to the fleet following last year’s Fire Cover Review, which examined how GMFRS can respond to a growing and changing city-region. The next engine will be added to Moss Side Community Station next year.

Manchester city centre has been transformed in recent decades and now has more than 600 high-rise buildings – more than anywhere else outside of London. This had led to a rapid increase in demand for fire cover, which this additional engine at Manchester Central, plus an additional engine at Moss Side Community Fire Station, will address.

The new fire engines will also have additional crew members to increase the