Ballyclare Xenon kit rollout across North West fire services
Firefighters across the North West of England and Northern Ireland will be issued Xenon technical rescue kit supplied by Ballyclare under a joint procurement contract.
The company announced that fire and rescue services from Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland worked together on the initiative.
The collaboration represents more than 5,800 firefighters.
The specialist kit is intended for non-structural incidents such as road traffic collisions, medical emergencies and natural disasters.
Certification standards and tender specifications
The Xenon technical rescue jacket and trousers are certified to BS EN 16689 for protective clothing used in technical rescue.
The garments also meet EN ISO 15384 for wildland firefighter clothing and EN ISO 20471 for high-visibility clothing.
The ensemble uses fabrics designed to be lightweight and breathable.
The material is inherently flame retardant and resistant to repeated washing.
It also provides waterproof protection against blood pathogens, chemicals and particulates.
This version of the Xenon kit was adapted to meet the tender requirements, including the use of a bright yellow outer fabric to increase visibility during road traffic incidents.
Procurement process and supplier selection
Ballyclare was selected as the preferred supplier following a tender process that included practical user trials last year.
Fire and rescue services in the region are already familiar with the Xenon range through existing use of Xenon structural kit and a previous version of the Xenon technical rescue jacket.
Philip Tasker, Global Sales Lead for Fire and Security at Ballyclare, said: “Increasingly, fire and rescue services across the UK and Europe are investing in dedicated technical rescue kit which better suits the everyday incidents they face and prolongs the life of their structural gear.
“It’s great to see our innovative Xenon technical rescue design being put to good use by fire and rescue services across the North West and Northern Ireland.
“We’re pleased to be able to support these crews with the protection they need to carry out their operations safely.”
The contract covers the supply of technical rescue PPE to the participating services across the region.