The Chief Fire Officer yesterday announced a new fleet and $1.5 million of investment to enable firefighters to reach the heights of Hamilton's growing skyline.

Vincent Hollinsid admitted that the boom in multi-storey buildings in the capital has forced a re-evaluation of Fire Service equipment. The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service is now to purchase a $1.5 million pump which will enable large volumes of water to hose down fires on any part of the Island.

The mobile pump system can cover a distance of two miles and is the same one as used by the UK emergency services in dealing with widescale flooding.

Mr. Hollinsid said the alternative was to dig up the roads of Hamilton and put in pipes to pump water from the harbour, at a cost of $17 million. He said: "The current water hydrant system in the city is totally inadequate and will not supply the water we need. We have to rely on putting pumps into the harbour to supply the water. That takes a long time. It's a long process to call people in who are off-duty, get hoses set up in the harbour and then lay the hoses.

"We think this system will be a lot better. It's a two-man operation and the pump is capable of pumping large volumes of water over long distances.

"We don't have purpose-built fire hydrant systems outside Hamilton, but this mobile system will reach fires in the central area, the eastern end and the western end of the Island. We think it's a great option."

He said: "Given the number of large buildings going up now, we had to look at a better hydrant system. The construction of buildings is going away from three storeys to six or seven storeys, and this causes us to look at our equipment design. We have to make sure our fleet can meet the demand of these multi-storey buildings."

Mr. Hollinsid also announced that the Island is to get a new fleet ¿ one that is lime green in colour.

"The Service has decided to change the colour scheme to that of lime green and white," he said. "Research studies have identified that this colour scheme provides for a greater degree of visibility to other road users, especially in areas and times of the day where lighting has been reduced."

The Fire Service currently operates 39 vehicles which are red and white. The new fleet will be "purpose built with an added weight load capacity".

Mr. Hollinsid said a review over the past two years had found that the increased number of emergency calls and resulting extra weight had led to increasing maintenance costs and repair times.

As a result the Fire Service has commissioned new "purpose built" fire trucks from a company in the US. They are four and a half inches wider with a bigger engine.

"These new vehicles will not only be purpose built, but be built with an added weight load capacity," said Mr. Hollinsid. "The new design will assist the Service in reducing maintenance costs and vehicle repair times. It will also see improvements in audible warning and lighting systems."

He added that all 16 drivers are to undergo a two-week Driver Recertification Training Course at Pearson International Airport Training School, Canada.

Mr. Hollinsid admitted this was a result of the "recent roll-over of the Crash Firefighting Vehicle at the L.F. Wade International Airport", which resulted in $400,000 worth of damage.