Ayrshire business wins contract to upgrade Iraqi firefighting fleet

A Scottish business is delivering one of Iraq’s biggest-ever investments into its emergency services.

Ayrshire-headquartered Emergency One has been selected to supply half the vehicles for Iraq’s Civil Defence Directorate.

The Cumnock-based firm supplies over 90% of the UK’s fire and rescue services and is continuing to grow its international presence.

A $31m (£24.8m) loan issued by UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK Government’s export credit agency, will allow Iraq’s Ministry of Interior to purchase 62 British-made fire-fighting vehicles – 31 made in Ayrshire and 31 in Yorkshire.

Each vehicle, capable of carrying up to 6,500 litres of water and 500 litres of foam, will help tackle frequent fires that break out in Iraq – especially in the summer.

Steven Bell, managing director at Emergency One, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be part of this significant project to modernise Iraq’s fire-fighting capabilities.

“The partnership with Iraq’s Ministry of Interior, supported by UK Export Finance, highlights the strength of British engineering and our commitment to delivering world-class fire and rescue vehicles.

“It’s an honour to contribute to the safety and resilience of communities across Iraq, and we look forward to continuing our support as part of this important collaboration.”

In 2023-24, UKEF supported businesses in Scotland with £45m in new government financing support, helping them win new contracts overseas. It has two regional representatives dedicated to supporting Scottish businesses.

Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill said: “This UK Government funding is bringing significant business to Ayrshire-based Emergency One, a leading supplier of fire and rescue vehicles.

“Deals like this, organised through the hard work of UKEF, are vital to boost our home-grown industries, support jobs and encourage growth for the benefit of the whole UK.

“I wish the company every success as they complete this contract that will make very important improvements to Iraq’s emergency services.”