First Bus to the (Fire and) rescue

The former 44-seater single decker bus is now enjoying a second career, supporting vital frontline training for the service and helping to enhance emergency response capabilities across West Yorkshire.

West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service asked First Bus for a vehicle to help with training exercises, such as rescuing casualties, dealing with road traffic collisions, and other emergency situations. The donated bus is now being used to give crews a realistic space to practise and improve their skills in a safe, controlled setting.

The donation forms part of First Bus’ ongoing programme to repurpose retired buses to support local community initiatives. In this case, the bus originally started life in Glasgow on the airport service. For the last five years it has been used as training vehicle in West Yorkshire, helping hundreds of new bus drivers.

Buses typically have a lifespan of around 15 years, after which they may be donated, resold, or passed to specialist salvage partners who de-pollute, dismantle and recycle components for reuse. For this donation, First Bus worked with PVS in Barnsley who supported the donation by removing the engine and fuel, preparing the bus for its new role.

Delivered to WYFRS headquarters in Buttershaw, Bradford, in March, the bus was quickly put into use for a major training exercise later that month. It has since supported multiple scenarios and will continue to be used for a range of operational and multi-agency training exercises involving partners such as the police and other emergency services.

Zoe Hands, Managing Director, First Bus Franchising, said:

“By repurposing retired vehicles, we’re able to give local communities the opportunity to use them in a wide range of ways, from schools and hospitals to prisons. In this case, we’re incredibly proud to see one of our buses supporting West Yorkshire’s emergency services, helping to improve preparedness, response, and ultimately public safety.”

Mark Milner, National Resilience Watch Manager at WYFRS, added:

“West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service would like to extend our sincere thanks to First Bus for their valued support in providing a bus for our multi-agency training exercise, Broken City. Having access to a vehicle helped create a realistic scenario for crews and partner agencies, allowing us to test procedures, strengthen joint working, and build confidence in our response to complex incidents. We are grateful to First Bus for helping us deliver a safe, effective, and highly beneficial training day.”