Service Projects

Throughout 2020, the Service grew its zero-emission green fleet alongside the diesel vehicles. An Ultra Low Emission Vehicle Corporate Project Group was established to manage this and centralise the reporting on the zero emission vehicles within the Service fleet. All decisions on electric vehicle choices and locations of charging points were agreed by the Group.   

Working towards a Zero Emission Fleet

Ultra Low Emission Vehicle now plays a big part towards our Green Travel Plan objectives, reducing our direct emissions to air and showing our commitment to continual environmental improvement. Over the next few years, end of life fossil fuelled vehicles will continue to be gradually replaced with zero emission, electric alternatives.

To support this, with the increase of a fleet of electric vehicles through both the Public and Private sector organisations, collaboration opportunities through a number of external Ultra Low Emission Vehicle Groups has grown and the possibility to ease range anxiety of the electric vehicles will hopefully soon be resolved.

As part of the Ultra Low Emission Vehicle Corporate Project, throughout 2020 the Service took delivery of a total of 21 fully electric vehicles for use as non-response, pool fleet which were incorporated into the fleet for all Staff. These consisted of VW e-golfs, Nissan Leaf vehicles and Nissan eNV200 vans, 15 of which came on fleet in 2020, with a further 5 recently being delivered.

The feedback received from Staff is what leads the decision on the types of electric vehicles purchased.

As well as a number of electric vehicles, the Service have 2 Hydrogen fuelled, Hyundai ix35 FECVs within our fleet for use in the Community Risk Reduction and Business Fire Safety Departments.

These vehicles are part of a Low Emission Vehicle trial within the Service and helped pave the way for a future of greener fleet including Hybrid and Electric Vehicles.

Our hydrogen fuelled vehicles release zero emission and are based in an area renowned for high air pollution, and although only playing a small part, every little helps in reducing air pollution from road traffic sources. These vehicles will help reduce our carbon emissions as a Service. The hydrogen itself is produced onsite in the Baglan Energy Centre through renewable energy including Solar PVs.   

Since incorporating the vehicles into our fleet, combined, the vehicles have covered the following:

According to carbonfootprint.com (opens in a new window/tab), the Service has offset 5.79 tonnes of CO²e by driving our 2 Hydrogen Vehicles for 22,979 miles.

The Service own a small number of electric bikes which are used in the Swansea and Carmarthen Command areas for Community Risk Reduction (CRR) duties. Feedback from the use of the e-bikes has been very positive and they are getting a popular choice of travel for CRR duties. The bikes are currently based at Llanelli, Carmarthen and Swansea fire stations.

These bikes are helping the Service to work towards our Green Travel Plan and Environmental objectives of carbon reduction, encourage more sustainable travel choices and will improve the health and wellbeing of Staff members. There is a cost saving in terms of wear and tear on vehicles, diesel and parking costs.

There has also been a positive response from Members of the Public when personnel arrive for an inspection on a bike instead of in a vehicle.

In the past 12 months the bikes were used on 20 occasion covering approximately 300 miles in total.

Since 2010, we have been assisting the National Fire fighters Charity to raise money through textile recycling banks located on 32 of our fire stations.

£15,000 generated for our Charity and over 125 tonnes of clothing re-diverted away from landfill to be re-sold, re-used or recycled!

The number of textiles donated from Members of the Public has been increasing year on year. However, unlike previous years, the income generated by the Service donations has decreased.

The Fire Fighters Charity receive a payment based on weight collected for every fire station, every month. This payment is a negotiated price that fluctuates. Therefore, during the Pandemic and the difficulties experienced by the recycling partners, the Fire Fighters Charity reduced the payment for the Clothes collected and hence this resulted in a lower income being generated.

The Service runs a number of Salary Sacrifice Schemes for its Staff to help reduce the environmental impact of both vehicles and technology. This helps give employees access to modern, safer and more fuel-efficient vehicles at a reduced cost from normal forecourt prices. The scheme assists in reducing the Service’s carbon footprint by encouraging employees to purchase new cars which emit lower carbon emissions or by purchasing bicycles.

To date, the Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme has signed up 37 vehicles, where the bike scheme has had 98 new bike contracts. Figures from the last 3 years can be seen in the table below.

Employees are encouraged to cycle to work, where possible and a number of bike sheds have been installed at various station locations. This also works towards our Green Travel objectives and our Corporate Health objectives, promoting health and wellbeing within the workplace.