Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service chaplain, Rev. Illtyd Protheroe, joined chief fire officer Chris Davies, local councillors and fire crew in Narberth on Tuesday as part of a dedication ceremony for a brand new fire appliance in the town.

The new £290,000 Volvo fire appliance, which replaced the previous 15-year-old vehicle, was blessed by Rev. Protheroe, with the keys then presented to watch manager Paul Morris by the chief fire officer.

CFO Chris Davies said: “A well-equipped, well-trained and well-motivated fire and rescue service is essential to ensuring the continuing safety of the communities we live in.

“We invest in our fleet of vehicles and equipment so that our firefighters have the best resources available to them to deal with emergencies, protecting themselves and the communities they serve.

“In common with many other public sector organisations, the fire and rescue service is facing budget cuts that could impact on the services we provide in the future.

“As a service, we have already saved £7.5 million - nearly 17 per cent of our budget since 2005.

“Working collaboratively has been key to making savings. This appliance for example was purchased under an All-Wales contract, which allows us to save in the region of £60,000 per appliance.

“By being forward-thinking, innovating and setting long-term fleet replacement plans in place, the service is proud that it has overcome some of the challenges of the current financial climate.”

In the last five years, Narberth crew have attended 96 house fires, 102 road traffic collisions and also responded to 793 medical emergency calls in co-responder vehicles. That this is delivered for just 13p per person per day is testament to the dedication and commitment of the on-call crews present at this dedication ceremony.

Fire authority chair and Narberth County Councillor Wynne Evans said: “I am extremely pleased to be here today to recognise the outstanding work of the Narberth fire crew with the dedication of a brand new fire appliance.”

“This investment in new firefighting equipment will ensure that our firefighters have the best possible resources to protect the community of Narberth, who can feel justifiably proud of their firefighters and the service they provide.”