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We can all be seduced by impulse buys, but Roy Emslie’s purchase was a little bigger than most. Colene McKessick discovers why he was tempted by this fiery machine
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NEARLY 30 years ago, Roy Emslie had a bad experience in a car. His exhaust caught light, setting his car on fire.
Not far from his home in Alford, Roy waited for a fire engine to appear, but the nearest station was in Insch, so the car was badly damaged by the time it arrived.
“It gave me a bit of a scare because I thought, ‘what if I’d been injured or trapped in the car?’,” said Roy, 55.
Soon after, Roy contacted the retained firemen in Alford and, 27 years later, he is still proud to serve the area.
“I’d always considered it anyway as both my uncle and cousin were firemen and it had always interested me, but after the car went up in flames, I knew it was time to do something about it,” he said.
“I still love it. It’s a fantastic responsibility, and one that I savour. As a retained fireman, I get called out generally seven or eight times a year to road traffic collisions or small house fires. I still get anxious when we’re driving to the scene.”
Though the job of a fireman has many important and exciting parts, one that most people would love to try is sitting in the big engine, blue lights flashing and sirens wailing.
For Roy, this is even more appealing as, working as a car salesman, he has a keen interest in motoring. So when the chance came up to own his own fire truck, he couldn’t resist.
“I’d gone to a vehicle auction in Perth to buy some vans and other cars for my business, but then I saw this and thought it looked interesting,” said Roy, casually.
“It was a complete impulse buy – quite an unusual one, I’ll admit, but I think it’s great. It’s so different.”
It’s certainly not something you would normally come home with after a shopping trip.
This is no normal truck. This imported 1995 Ford F350 XLT six-seater pick-up was converted to a fire and rescue service truck and served its time at Sheffield Airport before it closed down. The 7.5-litre V8, left-hand-drive truck is a beast, screaming out of its sirens, flashing its lights and lugging around nearly £33,000 worth of equipment.
“It just appealed to me. Being a retained fireman for all these years, it held real interest for me, and it was such a rare model that I just couldn’t refuse,” said Roy.
“The equipment is in excellent condition – it has a Cat 2 foam firefighting system with two 80ft hoses. I’ve got all of the equipment check sheets, too, which are really interesting.
“I don’t know if it was ever involved in any major fires at the airport, but I’d like to think it did its bit.”
The truck has a 720-litre foam pressurised firefighting system comprising a main water container and a separate foam-concentrate container. When operated, the foam is injected into the main delivery manifold, producing the correct consistency for use.
Fortunately, Roy hasn’t had to fight any fires in the truck, but it has certainly turned a few heads in the Alford area.
“It’s a great thing to drive because it’s so powerful. Obviously, it needs it to lug around the weight of the kit, but it’s still got a bit of oomph,” he said.
“I haven’t used it too much, but each time I’ve taken it out in Alford it has got loads of attention. It’s not the type of thing you see every day and, with it being so huge and having all of the logos and lights, it really stands out. Most people haven’t seen anything like it.”
Knowing just how important it is to have appropriate firefighting equipment nearby, Roy has decided that there are others who could be making better use of the Ford’s equipment.
“I don’t think it’s fair for me to keep it purely for my own interest. I think it could be put to better use,” he said.
“There are lots of private airports or distilleries in quite remote locations for whom it could be an essential piece of equipment. I’d much rather it was put to use than used for my own pleasure.
“In fact, I’d be much happier knowing it was out helping people who need it.”
If you are interested in the Ford F350 fire truck, contact Roy with offers over £15,000 on 07801 294315.
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