Northallerton and Richmond Fire Engines Now Have Names

Their suggested names were selected as winners by Philip Allott, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Richmond’s new fire engine will be called Poppy as suggested by Poppy and Northallerton’s fire engine will be called Squirt as suggested by the foundation stage children from Brompton Community Primary School.

Philip Allott, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner said:

“Thank you to everyone who put their thinking caps on and came up with some brilliant names for our new fire engines in Richmond and Northallerton. My job of picking a winner was really difficult but I hope all the children who took part like the ones I chose.

“Despite the financial pressures we face, investing in a strong and sustainable Fire and Rescue Service is an important priority for me so we can protect people and property and, ultimately, save lives. These two new fire engines are an important part of that and I know the brave firefighters who keep us safe across North Yorkshire and the City of York will love the fact they have vehicles named by the community they are protecting.”

Thomas Hirst, Group Manager for Hambleton and Richmondshire from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said:

“We had over 250 entries to the competition, which is fantastic. Thank you to everyone who took part. We’ll now be arranging visits to the schools with the new fire engines for an official naming ceremony.”

The competition also led to 31 requests for Safe and Well visits and over 400 viewings of the Safe and Well Video.

Some of the things that the children said they learnt from the Safe and Well video were:

“I learnt that North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service are here to keep us safe but there are things we can do at home that keep us safe too, like checking our smoke alarms and always being careful about how fires could start at home.”

“It is very important to have an escape plan in case of a fire and we must test our smoke alarm.”

“For mum not to leave her straighteners on her bed after use”

“To turn off electrical things when not using them and not to put the tea towel on the cooker in case my parents have been cooking.”

“To be safe with candles and check your smoke alarms are working. Check your house for hazards. Always help to check your friends and neighbours who might need help being safe and can’t watch this video.”

Anyone who lives within the City of York or North Yorkshire can book a free Safe and Well Visit by:

Calling 01609 788545 or

Visiting Book a Safe and Well Visit – North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (northyorksfire.gov.uk)