County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service is rolling out Michelin CrossClimate tyres on 27 Skoda Octavias driven by its rapid response ‘flexi’ officers

Vehicles for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service’s rapid response ‘flexi’ officers are being equipped with Michelin’s CrossClimate tyres to ensure they can respond to any emergency situation.

The service is gradually rolling out CrossClimate tyres on 27 Skoda Octavias driven by the officers.

The tyres have been developed to offer the benefits of a summer tyre for dry or wet braking, total mileage and energy efficiency, while also boasting the traction and braking performance of a winter tyre on cold and snow-covered roads.

Jeff Dickson, transport manager at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, said: “When we heard about Michelin’s CrossClimate tyres we thought them ideal for our requirements, and asked to trial the fitments – trials which quickly revealed the tyres’ on-road performance and traction in all weather conditions.

“We quickly took the decision to fit the new tyres to our ‘flexi’ officers’ Skodas, as these specialists must be able to respond instantly to an emergency call, no matter the weather – and get to places other cars may struggle to reach,” added Dickson.

“Also, fitting CrossClimate tyres hasn’t cost the service one penny more than the winter tyres fitted previously under our tyre policy. By swapping the winter tyres for CrossClimate, we’ve gained the traction of a winter tyre on occasionally snow-covered roads, married to the performance of a summer tyre – we’ve simply acquired the best tyre possible for the job at hand, and boosted mobility in unpredictable conditions for this vital part of our fleet as a result,” he commented.

The ‘flexi’ fleet’s new CrossClimates will be fitted exclusively by service provider ATS Euromaster, which also manages the Michelin tyres fitted to the Service’s mainline fire response and support vehicles.

CrossClimate tyres are currently available in 23 dimensions, covering 76 per cent of all car and car-derived van tyres in sizes from 15 to 17 inches, with Michelin expected to launch more sizes throughout 2016, including additional fitments in 15 to 17 inches, plus new tyres in 14, 18 and 19 inches.