Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service News

A community-driven fire officer has retired after a 30-year career of serving the people of Cambridgeshire. Station Commander Farsh Raoufi MBE leaves his role in Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service's (CFRS) prevention team where he was a community risk manager based in Peterborough. Farsh was also heavily involved in the Service's recruitment activity, always looking to encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to consider a career as a firefighter. In 2019 Farsh was recognized by Her Ma...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) has invested in new equipment to help respond to incidents. As part of a unique collaboration with the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Joint Protective Services (BCH JPS) police command, new drones are being rolled out which will assist firefighters in their response to a wide range of incidents and provide a bird’s eye view of the scene. They will be used at incidents such as search and rescue, investigative support, large-sca...

Members of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority have approved the appointment of an assistant chief fire officer. Jon Anderson was confirmed by members at a meeting on Thursday (25) after being recommended for the role following a two-day selection process. Chairman of the authority, Councillor Kevin Reynolds, said: “We are delighted to confirm Jon in the role and offer our congratulations after a challenging process. Jon has showed his passion and drive for the Service and...

With temperatures hitting significant highs of over 30°C in Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) would like to remind residents of important outdoor fire safety and water safety advice. Enjoy the weather safely Head of Fire Prevention for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, Group Commander Paul Clarke said, “We know people will be wanting to make the most of the warm weather, enjoying the sunshine while socially distancing with friends and family in...

A Cambridgeshire firefighter has been recognized as a rising star for being a role model and blazing a trail for women and those that speak English as a second language. Agata Wieczorek, known as Aggie, was awarded runner up in the 'Firefighter Rising Star' category of the Women in the Fire Service Awards 2020. Based at Huntingdon Fire Station, Aggie was nominated for her commitment and dedication, as well as her willingness to develop her skills and act as a role model for others. Joining CF...

Throwline stations are being installed at waterside locations across Cambridgeshire. The potentially lifesaving equipment is being installed in hotspots and high-risk sites across the county, that are known locations for people going into the water, or where incidents have happened in the past. throwline stations The 12 throwline stations are being installed with two already in place at Riverside Park in Huntingdon and in Ely. The installations have come at a time when we see most water-r...

A personal protection system installed by Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS), in partnership with a local housing provider, prevented a significant house fire in the county in May 2020.  The misting unit is designed to suppress a fire to prevent it from spreading throughout a property, similar in principle to a sprinkler system. personal protective system The personal protective system (PPS) is a self-contained portable unit and works differently, as they also help keep proper...

A fire caused by a charging electrical appliance has sparked a safety reminder from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service. On Monday afternoon crews from Dogsthorpe, Whittlesey and Yaxley attended a fire in Fletton, Peterborough. They arrived to find a fire in a first-floor bedroom of a two-story house, which they were able to extinguish wearing breathing apparatus and using a hose reel. The property was evacuated before the crews arrived, but a casualty did require treatment for smoke inhalat...

Staff across Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service have been paying tribute to Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade (PVFB) firefighter - Will Baker who sadly died yesterday evening. A colleague, aged 40, discovered Will at the volunteer fire station in the city. His death is not being treated as suspicious. Will had been a volunteer firefighter for 12 years. Known for his commitment to the brigade and the people he served, he was always true to the brigade’s motto of &lsquo...

Firefighters in Cambridgeshire are supporting local residents by carrying out welfare checks on those who are most vulnerable in the community. Crews are supporting the county-wide community coordination hub by visiting those vulnerable residents that are shielded in their homes, to check on their welfare and to see if they need any support. On-call firefighters from across the county have been carrying out the visits throughout the week in and around Cambridge. New ways of working  I&rs...

Residents across the county are being urged to stay at home and keep fire safe over the upcoming bank holiday weekend. With the weather set to be warm and sunny for most of the weekend, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding people to follow the government's advice to stay home, while also keeping fire safe. Protecting NHS Group Commander Paul Clarke, the Service's Head of Community Fire Safety, said, “This has been a challenging time for many people and we want to thank ev...

A Cottenham based firefighter rallies his local community to donate face masks to a hospice charity. Crew Commander Roger Pake raised more than £2,000 to cover the cost of 700 N95 masks for staff at Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridge. Roger said, “I saw the plea from the charity on Facebook and felt I could help. I know people that have family members looked after by the hospice, plus my wife works there so I am fully aware of the great work they do. This is why I was very keen to do...

A Peterborough-based fire station has donated more than £1,000 to a local hospice. Staff at Dogsthorpe Fire Station raised the money through their sports and social club. After seeing a social media post from Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice highlighting the need for support, White Watch agreed with the rest of the station to arrange a donation. Donations  Firefighter Matthew Johnson from White Watch presented the donation of £1,250 to the hospice. Matthew Johnson said, “...

Nine on-call firefighters from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service have been seconded to the ambulance service. The on-call firefighters will temporarily be seconded to East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) while they experience high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having now received their training, they will be using their skill as blue light trained drivers to assist in driving frontline emergency NHS ambulances alongside EEAST paramedics. The move to the NHS frontline...

Around 200 delegates from the building and design industries in the United Kingdom region and beyond attended a one-day business seminar themed - “Sprinklers Save Lives” on providing a fire resilient environment for everyone. It was held at The Burgess Hall in St Ives, United Kingdom.  “Sprinklers Save Lives” seminar Organized by BAFSA (British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association Ltd.) in collaboration with, and hosted by, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, t...

Residents across the county are being urged to stay fire safe, while they isolate themselves with their families at home, during the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic.A week into the UK government’s instruction to stay at home except for essential journeys, fire crews have responded to several fires that might have been easily avoided by following some simple fire safety advice. Ahead of the pandemic reaching the predicted peak, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service wants to ensure crews a...

The impact from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a major incident being declared by Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS). With the total number of confirmed cases continuing to rise throughout the UK and the British government advice for those showing symptoms, or knowing someone showing symptoms, to isolate for extended periods, the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is getting ready to face staffing and staff shortage challenges. Countering rapidly increasing COVID...

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a major incident being declared by Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service. With the number of confirmed cases continuing to rise throughout the UK and the government's advice for those showing symptoms or knowing someone showing symptoms, to isolate for extended periods, the Service is getting ready to face staffing challenges. Prepare for COVID-19 impact Chief Fire Officer - Chris Strickland said, “Please be assured that we currently have...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service announced that it has been putting plans in place to ensure residents across the county will get emergency response treatment when they need it during the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Emergency response treatment Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, Chief Fire Officer, Chris Strickland said, “We want to assure residents that we are taking the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic very seriously. We have been working closely with our...

Around 200 delegates from the building and design industries in the region and beyond attended a one-day business seminar on ‘Providing a fire resilient environment for all’. Organised by the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association Ltd (BAFSA) in collaboration with, and hosted by, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, the event focused on raising awareness of the life-saving benefits sprinkler and suppression systems can provide to communities. It was held at The Burgess Hall...

Around 200 delegates from the building and design industries in the region and beyond attended a one-day business seminar on providing a fire-resilient environment for all.  Organized by BAFSA in collaboration with, and hosted by Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, the event focused on raising awareness of the life-saving benefits sprinkler and suppression systems can provide to communities. It was held at The Burgess Hall in St Ives. fire and rescue service challenges  During t...

With it set to be another windy weekend, CFRS is calling on residents to make sure they secure items in the garden, such as trampolines, garden furniture, hanging signage, and wheelie bins, before the storm arrives on Saturday. A Met Office Yellow Warning for Wind is in place for all of the East of England, from 10am on Saturday until 12pm on Sunday. During the weekend we may see the strongest gusts of around 50 to 60mph from mid-afternoon Saturday and then continue into Sunday morning. Re-co...

Sawston Fire Station has released a new video to help recruit on-call firefighters to their station. Filmed by the crew themselves, the video gives a glimpse of life as an on-call firefighter, as well as showing different aspects of the role, from responding to incidents to developing skills and keeping the community safe. On-call firefighters can be men and women that come from every walk of life. They may be at home, working for themselves or a nearby company, or even out in their local commu...

New replacement rescue boats for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service will enable firefighters to respond quicker to water incidents. Equipped with the latest technology, the new boats have a more powerful engine and inflate in under a minute compared to the three to four minutes the old boats took. This means that crews can get the boats off the rescue vehicle, into the water and reach the casualty in a significantly faster time. Group Commander Jamie Johnson, who heads the department respon...

New replacement rescue boats for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service will enable firefighters to respond quicker to water incidents. Equipped with the latest technology, the new boats have a more powerful engine and inflate in under a minute compared to the three to four minutes the old boats took. This means that crews can get the boats off the rescue vehicle, into the water, and reach the casualty in a significantly faster time. Authority comment Group Commander Jamie Johnson, who heads...

Taking place at the Huntingdon Marriott Hotel in Huntingdon, UK on Thursday (January 23), 2020, the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service Excellence Awards celebrated the achievements of staff from across different areas of the Fire Service. The commitment, dedication and professionalism of staff which regularly go above and beyond to provide the best possible service to the people of Cambridgeshire were all celebrated by around 140 guests. Hosting the event was Chief Fire Officer Chris Strick...

A free one-day seminar on the importance of sprinklers and suppression systems and their life-saving benefits is being held next month in St. Ives. The seminar, 'Providing a fire resilient environment for all', organized by The British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA) in collaboration with, and hosted by, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service aims to inform industries on how to protect their buildings and occupants with sprinklers and suppression systems. Life-Saving Benefits Of S...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) announced that it has entered into a partnership with Papworth Trust as part of the Primary Authority Scheme (PAS). The partnership means that CFRS will support Papworth Trust on all fire safety matters across their premises in East Anglia. Papworth Trust Papworth Trust is a globally renowned disability charity that supports thousands of people, their families and carers every year. They provide a range of high quality services for disabled and dis...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has introduced a new daytime contract to help attract more people to become on-call firefighters. The new contract allows people to be available to respond to emergencies from just 24 hours a week, for example while working at their regular day job. This will help increase the availability of fire engines during the day around the county. The new contract is available for anyone interested in joining an on-call station, providing they can offer a minimum...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has welcomed 8 new on-call firefighters to stations across the county. The group completed their phase one training course this weekend and has the core skills required to operate safely as a firefighter with their new stations. On-call firefighters They passed out on Sunday (December 15) in front of their proud friends, family, and training team at CFRS’s Training Centre in Huntingdon. The celebration event rounded the 10-week course and each recr...