The fire service on Monday dismissed a newspaper report alleging the delivery of defective fire engines was met with celebrations, calling the claims unfounded.

It said all vehicle deliveries are carried out under the public procurement law and meet current European safety and operational standards.

Each handover, it stressed, is supported by the necessary certificates and documents to guarantee quality, safety and legality.

The service explained that, although as a security body it is not legally required to carry out technical checks on its vehicles, it voluntarily sends every fire engine to the department of road transport for inspection every two years.

This, it said, ensures proper function, reliability and safety.

It added that the engines often operate in difficult terrain, under harsh conditions, which can sometimes lead to technical or mechanical issues. To respond to such incidents, the service maintains a central workshop and has technicians in all districts who repair faults immediately.

The service underlined that the safety of its personnel remains its top priority.

Any fire engine that develops a fault is taken out of service until repairs are completed and it is deemed fully operational.