UK fire stations to be re-built
Chorley fire station is to be rebuilt as part of Government plans costing £48m.
Another 12 fire stations across the UK are also set to be improved as part of the fire service’s largest ever PPP project.
Builders are expected to start on the new development, off Southport Road, next summer and it is thought that the current depot in Weldbank Lane will be demolished after the move.
Ian Tyler of Balfour Beatty, said: “The upgrade of the stations will help meet the changing needs and support the modern practices of the fire and rescue service and provide a better environment for working, learning and training. We look forward to working with Lancashire Fire and Rescue Authority.”
The new station will also incorporate Southern Area headquarters, a training development department and a base for the Urban Search and Rescue team.
Lancashire’s Chief Fire Officer, Peter Holland, said: “This is a major boost for Lancashire. Our fire prevention work with communities has driven down the incidence of fires to their lowest level ever. In terms of emergency cover, today’s demands on Fire and Rescue Services are more challenging than ever, with a diversity of fire and other risks, volumes of traffic and road networks which were not envisaged when the fire stations in Blackburn, Fleetwood, Burnley and Chorley were built. “I am confident that these new stations will enable us to keep ahead of the pace of change in those areas. They will also ensure that the first-rate standards of fire and rescue cover we provide there continue to be maintained.”
UK Rescue Team arrives in Japan
A team of 60 specialist search and rescue workers from the UK have now arrived in Japan under the leadership of Hertfordshire Chief Fire Officer, Roy Wilsher.
The UK group have joined the US military in Ofunato where hundreds of people are still missing. Mr Wilsher said: “You can actually see the emotion on the faces of the people as we go by, they are so thankful to see us and we’re thankful to be here to help them.”
The UK team consists of members of Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Kent, Hampshire, Lancashire, West Midlands, Lincolnshire, West Sussex and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Services.
UK firefighters heading to Japan
Firefighters from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service are about to set off for Japan to assist with the rescue effort in the wake of Fridays devastating earthquake and tsunami.
The team will fly out from Manchester Airport with around 70 others from the UK and will join search and rescue teams from 45 other countries including teams from the US, New Zealand, Australia and South Korea.
Response manager Neil Fritzsche said “It is a pretty daunting prospect – to go out there and see what assistance we can give to the people of Japan – but whatever we face, we will deal with and hopefully provide some help. Everybody knows what they are doing as far as search and rescue is concerned, but as for specific roles in Japan, we will wait until we join up with the UN command structure to find out what our tasks will be.”
Essex businesses reminded over fire alarm response changes
Office and factory owners in Essex have been warned that from today there will be no response by Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) to automatic fire alarms.
The decision to reduce the response with regards to business premises has been made in order to lower the risks to the public by concentrating resources on emergency situations.
Fire crews will not respond to certain calls which come from automatic alarms in these business premises, or 999 calls where the person on the phone in telephone kiosks hangs up.
ECFRS hope that they will be able to improve their response service to homes in the area after they revealed that 97 percent of these automatic fire alarm cases are false.
Chief fire officer David Johnson expects resources to be utilised more effectively, placing the fire safety initiative back on commercial and industrial businesses to look after their own alarms.
He said:
“I am sure that home owners and businesses would rather our fire crews and appliances are ready to respond to their real emergencies, rather than them not being available because they are sitting outside factories or offices dealing with yet another of the thousands of false alarms that the service gets on a yearly basis.”
Flyers have been sent out to all businesses in the county explaining to them about the new system and warning them of their responsibility in maintaining their alarm systems more effectively.
Welsh homes all set for new fire sprinkler systems
The Welsh Assembly are expected to pass a measure later this year which would see all new properties in Wales installed with automatic sprinkler systems for fire safety.
The measure is under consideration for Welsh law and would include care homes and university residencies as well as new-build houses in the country.
Vale of Clwyd AM Ann Jones, who put forward this new proposal and is now looking for support, said:
“After three years of campaigning and scrutiny we have seen a compelling moral and technical case for this life-saving device which has been working for decades in, amongst other places, cities in the USA and Canada.
“With sprinklers fitted, new homes in Wales will be amongst the safest in the world and that will go for new care homes and university accommodation too.
“Over 100 people have died in house fires in Wales since 2004 and we now know that sprinklers could have saved many of these lives.”
The three fire and rescue services in Wales have backed the new measure, which has also received encouragement from the Fire Brigades Union, the National Fire Sprinkler Network and the Chief Fire Officers Association (UK).
Despite the general consensus, there have been a number of questions raised through the consultation process, with the National House Building Council (NHBC) remaining neutral on its position.