Fire Warden Training – Cardiff
Very entertaining & personable speaker, very useful – Anthony Ormond
I now know what documentation and relevant procedures are required for my job – Vicky Jones
Very good presentation, videos etc….very informative – Andrew Jenkins
The training was very informative and it gained a much better knowledge of fire safety – Jonathan Williams
The practical exercise was very useful and informative – John Powell
Union proposes alternatives to Norfolk fire service plans
The Retained Firefighters Union (RFU) has put its case forward regarding the cuts which are expected to be rolled out if the recent consultation is approved.
This issue has raised many concerns with retained firefighters in the region, who have been looking at other measures which could limit the proposed changes which includes the removal of frontline fire engines and a reduction in staffing levels.
A union representative, Neil Harvey, said:
“Unfortunately the figures within the proposals simply do not add up and, rather than save money, it would appear that costs will unnecessarily increase.
“The proposals aim to reduce the number of retained firefighters by up to 26, in addition to about 24 full-time firefighter posts being lost. The draft plan also looks to totally remove two frontline appliances and replace three more with alternative vehicles that are unable to respond to primary fires and carry less crew.
“There is no doubt that should these proposals go ahead, the changes will increase the risk across the county and the level of resilience provided by the fire service will also deteriorate.”
The draft plan includes reductions of over £1 million and now the 12-week consultation period has ended, the firefighters will have to wait until October for the final decision.
Halifax mill fire causes homes to be evacuated
It has been reported that a huge blaze at a mill in Halifax led to around 15 residents having to leave their homes last Saturday evening.
Around 200 firefighters were needed to take on the fire at the six-floor Ebor Mills complex on Ebor Lane in Haworth at 8:30pm.
As the fire crews attempted to put out the blaze, shocked local residents on Miall Street, which is off Pellon Lane, were moved to a safe location at a leisure centre by the police as a precautionary measure.
A local resident, Shahzad Khalid, explained:
“We could see the building on fire, completely engulfed in flames and after a short while the whole thing just collapsed.
“Everybody’s quite shocked, the whole street, they’ve never seen anything like this.
“The street’s been evacuated so it’s caused major disruption. They’re staying at the leisure centre.”
The West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service are now damping down the site after confining it to one location and stopping it spreading to nearby buildings and so Halifax residents have been given permission to return to their homes.
There were no reported injuries following the blaze, which began on the third level of the furniture warehouse and eventually led to the total collapse of the building.
The cause of the fire has still not been determined by the fire service working with police and an investigation is now underway.
Scottish fire services moving towards merger
The new fire chief of Lothian and Borders has admitted that a merger of the fire and rescue services in Scotland is looking more and more likely.
Since he took on the role in July, Jimmy Campbell has been considering the situation faced by fire services in the country as public sector cuts come into force.
The future for fire services in Scotland will involve a number of changes to ensure that efficiency is achieved and the merger may be the only way to achieve this.
Mr Campbell explained:
“We don’t know at this stage what cuts will be expected in services like ours but with commentators speculating on cuts from 12% to as much as 25% we know these cuts will be significant and there is no way that cannot affect how we currently do business.
“I am seeking a national approach from the fire and rescue services’ chief fire officers to establish a realistic direction and course of action that fundamentally protects our frontline firefighters and maintains the quality standard of services that the people of Scotland have come to expect.
“If we look at the number of fire and rescue services in Scotland there must be a better way of doing things.”
It looks like fire services in Scotland will go from eight into three to cover the north, west and south east areas of the country.
Northamptonshire unveils state-of-the-art fire engine
A government-funded bespoke fire engine with advanced communications technology built-in has now been unveiled.
The new vehicle will enable the fire and rescue service in Northamptonshire to send out text messages en-mass to all mobile phones within a particular area to warn them in the case of an emergency situation.
Martyn Emberson, chief fire officer, said:
“Before this vehicle, we had nothing similar to do this job. It would be firefighters standing out there near the appliances.
“It’s a whole new way of telling people about what we are doing. If we are at an incident, it can tell residents to keep their doors and windows shut, for example.”
The multi-purpose fire engine, which includes a lounge and toilet facilities, will be able to act as a command base while fire crews are tackling fires within the vicinity. It can also be used at fire awareness events and work in schools as the vehicle is equipped with flat screen TVs to relay presentations.
Northamptonshire county councillor, André González de Savage, explained:
“This vehicle will be a real asset, helping the fire and rescue service to extend their prevention work even further with local communities, as well as helping us to reduce the risk of fires and other emergencies.”