Nith Inshore Rescue has deployed an INEOS Grenadier offroader as its new search and rescue vehicle.
Jointly funded by the Coastal Communities Fund and St John Scotland, this is the first blue-light emergency response Grenadier in the UK and replaces the charity’s aged Land Rover Defender.
The rescue service, one of the busiest lifeboat stations in Scotland, is based near Dumfries and deploys its lifeboat, search and rescue vehicle and other equipment when called upon by the HM Coastguard Rescue Co-ordination Centre.
Its new customised Grenadier, supplied in Utility Wagon commercial vehicle guise, will perform front-line search and rescue duties in Scotland.
The search and rescue service selected the Grenadier for its off-road capability and versatile cabin. The British-designed 4×4 is engineered to deliver best-in-class off-road capability, durability and reliability, with a spacious and versatile cabin layout and modern comfort, refinement and technology.
Specialist search and rescue equipment provider Emergency One took full advantage of the Grenadier’s ‘plug-and-play’ wiring set-up to customise the vehicle with the kit specified by Nith Inshore Rescue’s team. This included an extendable roof-mounted camera, named Jonny Five after the robot character in the film Short Circuit.
The vehicle was recently unveiled alongside the search and rescue service’s fully refurbished St John lifeboat.
Peter Bryden, secretary of Nith Inshore Rescue, said: “We deal with life-and-death situations, very harsh weather, and challenging terrain, so when it came to evaluating the options for a new support vehicle, there were few options and the Grenadier stood out, ticking all the boxes. We were very impressed with the way it has been engineered and built to last, as well as how straightforward it was to convert it for this role. Together with our revitalised lifeboat, we expect it serve our team for the next 40 years.”
