A fire rescue unit (FRU) is a specialist heavy-rescue vehicle.
FRUs are equipped with heavy lifting, winching, cutting and pulling tools, floodlighting, longer-duration breathing apparatus (vital for rescuing people from tunnels deep underground, for example), portable generators and other specialised equipment. FRU crews are specially trained and equipped to handle complex rescues, including those from road and rail accidents, water, mud and ice, urban search and rescue incidents such as collapsed buildings, chemical spills and difficult rescues at height.
Nine of the Brigade's fleet of FRUs were successfully mobilised to the 7/7 bombings and since then the LFB has upped its number of FRUs from 10 (including one reserve) to 16.
Read more about this topic: London Fire Brigade Appliances
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