Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service News

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) has issued some safety advice after a coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death following a fire involving a cup heater at the home of 61-year-old Julie Milne in March, Fenland, in 2017. CFRS carried out a fire investigation following the fire at the bungalow of Ms. Milne on June 6, 2017. At an inquest into Ms. Milnes’s death, Senior Coroner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, David Heming said a significant contributing factor was smoke...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) is now using a new app to help respond to incidents more effectively. CFRS, along with a number of other emergency services, including Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, have been using what3words to help pinpoint those in need. Unreliable data connection The unique location app what3words has divided the globe into 3m x 3m squares and given each one a unique three-word address. The app is free to download for bo...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has invested in new cutting-edge equipment and training to improve how crews carry out rescues from above and below the ground level. The investment comes following an identified increase in the number of high structures, such as wind turbines. The equipment will allow firefighters to perform rescues in a safer and more effective way, while also providing enhanced integration with hazardous area response teams from the ambulance service, where rescues from...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has welcomed 12 new on-call firefighters. The group will begin serving at stations around the county after completing their initial training course. The group passed out on Sunday (March 17) and will be joining stations around the county as a firefighter around their work and home life. Challenging yet rewarding opportunity Group Commander Karl Bowden said: “We’re delighted to welcome these new recruits to the Service. Being an on-call firefi...

People looking to help their communities by volunteering are encouraged to become community champions with Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS). The champions project has been going for a number of years, with people volunteering their time all around the county to promote various safety tips. Local initiatives and campaigns CFRS is looking for more people to join the team of community champions across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. They make a huge contribution to the Service and...

Firefighters from Burwell Fire Station were unable to respond to a house fire in Newmarket on Monday (28) as their fire engine was unavailable following a break-in at the station. Thieves broke into the station on Reach Road sometime on Sunday night (January 27). They stole life-saving cutting gear used at road traffic collisions and other rescues. Life-Saving equipment How anyone can steal life-saving equipment from an emergency service is just beyond me" With police scenes of crime officer...

With record calls, a very busy summer, new life-saving equipment, and a good inspection result, 2018 was a demanding and memorable year for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS). Crews from stations up and down the county were kept busy attending more than 7,000 incidents, including fires, rescues, and road traffic collisions, as well as supporting other services in neighboring counties. Hot and dry weather conditions The Combined Fire Control, which also serves residents and mobilize...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is working with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) as part of a national campaign encouraging people to become on-call firefighters. The ‘Need More’ awareness week runs from January (7) and aims to highlight opportunities available in the fire service, while busting myths about what it takes to be a firefighter. Promoting fire safety The campaign is supported by a national website which encourages people to get in touch with their local...

A Cambridgeshire fire officer has been awarded an MBE by Her Majesty The Queen in the New Year’s Honors list. Station Commander Farsh Raoufi has been recognized for services to the community, especially in relation to equality and inclusion, both in his role with Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) and as a volunteer. Serving the community stems Farsh said: “I am truly humbled to be given such a prestigious award and I would like to thank Her Majesty The Queen for this h...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has come out with the joint best scores from 14 other fire and rescue services in the first round of new Government commissioned inspections. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has spent the last nine months analyzing data and documents and visiting the Service to assess it in three core areas - effectiveness, efficiency, and how well it looks after its people. Best possible service The Inspectorate...

Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service would like to ensure everyone has a safe and happy Christmas this year, and ask that users read their 10 top tips for keeping them, their family, pets, and guests safe this festive season: Make sure users have a working smoke alarm which is correctly fitted and works. And NEVER take the batteries out to power presents! Ensure that everyone in the home knows what to do in a fire - in the event of fire users should get out, stay out and call 999. Kitch...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has welcomed a group of 21 new recruits to join stations around the county. The new faces will soon be seen riding in fire engines as they begin their operational careers with the Service in the coming weeks. This follows them completing an intensive 11-week training course in Cardiff, delivered by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service. Road traffic collisions The course put the new recruits through their paces, learning how to deal with an array of emerge...

Emergency services have teamed together to mark 100 years since the end of World War One. Fire engines, police vehicles, and ambulances across the county will all be displaying poppy stickers marking the centenary leading up to Remembrance Day. Displaying poppy stickers Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service Area Commander Jon Anderson said: “Our staff are always keen to mark Remembrance Day and will attend their annual local parades. We’ve also raised money for the Royal British...

Three new fire engines have been introduced to the on-call fleet at Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service. The new smaller alternative vehicles will be initially trialed by on-call firefighters at St Neots, March, and Ely. The crews will also be trialing new battery-powered cutting equipment, for use mainly in road traffic collisions. The kit is similar to that currently used, but doesn’t require wires or a power generator. Lightweight portable pump Group Commander Gary Mitchely, head...

Flooding, severe weather, prolonged power cut, heatwave, large smoke plume, chemical leak…how would the users cope in an emergency situation? Cambridgeshire’s emergency services and other Local Resilience Forum (LRF) partners such as local authorities, Cambridgeshire County Council, health organizations, and the Environment Agency, are joining forces for the whole of September to share top tips and advice to help get local residents prepared for a number of different emergency situ...

Eleven new on-call firefighters have joined fire stations across Cambridgeshire after completing a three-month training program. The latest group of on-call recruits passed out last month, in front of proud friends, family, and instructors, and are serving their communities as firefighters around their work and home life. The new recruits are now on-call after completing three months of training at the Service’s training center in Huntingdon and will now be joining crews at Ramsey, Hunti...

The summer heatwave has seen Cambridgeshire’s firefighters face a significant increase in fires. In June and July crews attended 551 fires in the open across the county, an increase of more than 50 per cent on last year. In July alone, crews attended 376 fires in the open in various places around the county. Quick spreading fire Assistant Chief Fire Officer Rick Hylton said: “The recent hot and dry weather has meant the ground conditions have been allowed fires to spread quickly....

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service bid farewell to Watch Commander Rob Cowling after more than 20 years of service.  Rob, who most recently held a role in the Service’s fire protection team, retired in June after serving nearly 24 years in the fire service. Colleagues from across the county gathered at Cambridge Fire Station to wish him all the best at a retirement presentation, where he was presented with his figurine by Area Commander Chris Parker. Rob started his career in So...

Cambridgeshire residents have been urged to stay fire-safe when outdoors as the warm weather continues. With temperatures hitting significant highs, fires in open areas of land can easily spread and become out of control. Events north of the country, with significant moorland fires at Saddleworth Moor and Winter Hill, have shown how these fires quickly spread and take hold of open areas of land. Authority comment We want to help ensure that people enjoy the sunny weather while it’s here...

Firefighters in Huntingdon and St Neots have been supporting young people in Cambridgeshire by teaming up with Huntingdonshire Community Safety Partnership’s Transforming Lives Program. The initiative supports vulnerable young people in the community by helping to build self-esteem and raise aspirations. The project was developed in response to increased levels of concern in relation to young people entering the criminal justice system and a recognition that public service partners had a...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service held a “Safety Zone” last week at St Neots Fire Station. The five-day multi-agency event for local primary schools was attended by approximately 500 school children aged between eight and nine, and gives them vital information on how to keep safe. The children took part in activities and demonstrations provided by Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue service, Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Cambridgeshire County Council Trading Standards & Road Safe...

CAMBRIDGESHIRE and Peterborough Fire Authority met and agreed to issue a claim for a judicial review to challenge the Home Office’s decision to transfer governance of the fire service to the police and crime commissioner. Members have taken legal advice and believe there has been no evidence presented to demonstrate a business case for the change. Careful consideration The Authority has navigated its way through two comprehensive spending reviews Chairman of the Fire Authority, Council...

On Tuesday, April 24, 2018, St Neots Fire Station celebrated its 50th anniversary. To mark the occasion, current and past members of St Neots Fire Station came together for a special event to celebrate its history. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, Station Commander Vicky Best, commented: “We were honored to be joined by so many past and current serving members of St Neots Fire Station for our 50th Anniversary. Many things have changed over the years, and it was great to be able to...

Firefighters, community safety offices, and community champions from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) will be offering fire safety advice for the home to shoppers in Asda stores on Saturday 28th April, 2018. Fire services are delivering this information in support of the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC’s) collaboration with Asda. The supermarket chain was keen to offer fire services the opportunity to help keep people safer. They made 100 stores available to delive...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has teamed up with Whittlesey Rotary Club to fund smoke alarms for vulnerable adults living in Whittlesey and surrounding areas. Station Commander for CFRS, Brett Mills commented: “We are delighted to work in partnership with the Whittlesey Rotary Club, and are really grateful for their support in helping to keep Cambridgeshire residents safe in the community.” Importance of smoke alarms “With a shared goal to reach out and help those w...

A portable misting system installed by Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, in partnership with mental health charity Suffolk Mind, prevented a significant fire in a South Cambridgeshire home. The misting unit is designed to suppress a fire to prevent it from spreading throughout a property, similar in principle to a sprinkler system. A portable misting system is a self-contained unit and works differently, as it also helps with keeping property damage to a minimum while suppressing the fire...

Five new on-call firefighters have joined fire stations across Cambridgeshire after completing training. The latest group of on-call recruits passed out on Sunday (January 28) and are now serving their communities as firefighters around their work and home life. Showing outstanding commitment Group Commander Gary Mitchley, head of on-call at Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS), said: “We’re delighted to welcome five new recruits to CFRS. Being an on-call firefighter is a...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) is excited to announce that it will be recruiting for wholetime firefighters to join fire stations across the county at the end of the month. People interested in becoming a wholetime firefighters will need to register online at the website and book a place on one of the upcoming information events. Registration opens at 10 am on January 29, 2018, and will stay open until midnight on March 8, 2018 – the day before the last information event, o...

Following some incidents within the home nationally related to the use of bio-ethanol heaters, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has issued the following advice for anyone using these heaters in their home: Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and instructions Only use bio-ethanol fuel in fireboxes and containers designed for the product Bio–ethanol fuel is highly flammable and should only be kept in containers tightly closed and away from any ignition sources Fireb...

Two additional fire engines will now be available during daytime hours in rural areas of the county. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has reallocated resources to provide extra cover in areas where on-call fire engines are not available. The aim is to reduce attendance times to fires and other emergencies and to provide a resource to carry out fire prevention activities. The roaming pumps will not work out of a fixed fire station, but will be sent to areas – one in the north and one...