High praise from colleagues seals a return to Michelin for Suffolk Fire and Rescue

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has returned to fitting Michelin tyres on its heavy fire appliances, after positive feedback from other stations across the UK praised the tyres’ exceptional grip and stability in all weather conditions.

The service has moved from a competitor fitment to 285/70 R19.5 Michelin X Multi Z (steer) tyres, which are being rolled out across its 53 Volvo FL rigids as wear dictates. The fleet is spread between 35 stations across the county.

Neil Elmy, fleet and equipment manager at Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, says: “Our previous tyre manufacturer told us they could no longer support us with testing new tyres on our vehicles, so we had to look for alternative options.

“Michelin was the natural first choice as they work closely with the emergency services and have supplied us with tyres previously. We talked to some other fire and rescue service fleets running a Michelin policy on similar vehicles, and the feedback was very positive. In fact, recent track testing with latest generation products had shown the overall grip and performance of these Michelin tyres to be excellent.”

Designed to blend the lowest cost per mile with outstanding grip all year round, the Michelin X Multi Z (Steer) and D (Drive) tyres feature the highly-desirable 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) markings on the sidewall, after passing tests in defined snowy conditions.

All tyre fitting and maintenance will be conducted by Tructyre ATS, with the drive axle tyre being regrooved at 3mm of remaining tread depth, to take advantage of the additional layer of base rubber built in to every Michelin truck tyre as standard.

Elmy adds: “The support we get from Tructyre ATS and Michelin’s technical team is second-to-none. We also benefit from access to a local Michelin account manager who has arranged to visit us regularly, to help ensure we extract the maximum performance from our new tyre policy. It’s a great resource to have access to.”

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service provides emergency response, prevention and protection services to a population of more than 750,000 people. Its headquarters are in Ipswich and other stations include Bury St Edmunds, Felixstowe, Lowestoft, Newmarket and Sudbury.