Ceres Lodge 4179

Launch of Fundraising Appeal for London Fire Brigade aerial appliances

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At a launch ceremony in London’s Freemasons Hall, Sir Michael Snyder, the Metropolitan Grand Master presented the first instalment of a £2.5 million funding pledge from London Freemasons to London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton. The funding will provide London Fire Brigade with two extended height aerial vehicles already asked for by London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton as part of a review into the Brigade’s resources she was asked to undertake by London Mayor Sadiq Khan in July.

London Freemasons approached the Brigade with the funding proposal in recognition of the dedication and professionalism it has shown in making London a safer city.

London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton said: “We are very grateful to Sir Michael Snyder and London Freemasons for this first donation and their commitment to raise the significant sum of money to buy such important equipment. It’s important that we have the most effective resources for the city environment we serve so we not only have to consider the reach of our aerial appliances but whether they are agile enough to move around the capital’s narrow streets. This has been an incredibly busy and emotional year for everyone connected with London Fire Brigade and we are very pleased our work has been recognised in this way.”

Sir Michael Snyder added: “On behalf of every London Freemason, I am delighted to announce the launch of our latest charity appeal in support of the London Community. These extended height aerial vehicles will be the highest in Europe and will help better equip the busiest fire and rescue service in the country. The appeal is the latest step in the London Masons objective to support the London community and help make London a safer place to live and work, it follows successive appeals to purchase a state of the art Cyberknife for Bart’s Hospital, five rapid responder cars for the London ambulance service, and the recent two million pounds donation to help fund London’s badly needed second Air Ambulance”.

Aerial platforms are used by the Brigade for a wide range of tasks including as aerial monitors to put water on buildings from height, high level lighting and as observation platforms. Previously aerial appliances with higher reach ladders were unavailable on a chassis size which would allow the vehicles to navigate London’s streets.

London Fire Brigade currently uses two main types of aerial appliance: the aerial ladder platform (ALP) and the turntable ladder (TL). The present operational fleet consists of four TLs and seven ALPs, plus four others used as reserve appliances for training.

Aerial platforms are used by the Brigade for a wide range of tasks including as aerial monitors to put water on buildings from height, high level lighting and as observation platforms. Previously aerial appliances with higher reach ladders were unavailable on a chassis size which would allow the vehicles to navigate London’s streets.