Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service News

BAFSA has applauded Cheshire Fire Authority’s recent investment of £36,000 in sprinklers to help protect a newly renovated block of flats in Warrington, United Kingdom (UK). To date, Cheshire Fire Authority has invested over £200,000 in retrofitting sprinklers in high-rise blocks across the county and this most recent project is the 18th building they have helped protect from fire. Sprinkler retrofit work at Kingsway House The installation of the sprinkler system in the buil...

The owners of a care home have been fined £60,000 for breaching fire safety regulations after a 90-year-old resident accidentally set fire to himself while smoking. Ashberry Healthcare Ltd, the former owner of Heathercroft Care Home in Woolston, was charged with failing to comply with the Fire Safety (Regulatory Reform) Order 2005 at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 11 October 2022. Outside smoking shelter It follows a tragic incident that occurred in May 2018, when resident Henry...

The owner of the Main Top Hotel on Mersey Road in West Bank, Widnes, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on 28 April, after pleading guilty to nine breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. William Scott Anthony Hanson, of Cooper Street, Widnes, was brought charges after being served a Prohibition Notice, following an inspection in June 2019, which Hanson did not comply with. Fire safety breach When Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) officers undertook the initial in...

Recently, sprinklers have protected a school, a retirement housing block, and a 13 story residential building from fire. Yet again sprinklers are recorded as protecting the young, the elderly, and the vulnerable from fire thus providing society with the necessary resilience to the damaging forces of fire. Chip pan fire: Retirement Housing Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service were called to a chip pan fire in the first-floor kitchen of a residential block of 112 flats. A single conc...

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) sends its congratulations to three fire and rescue services who featured in the Stonewall Top 100 Employers list. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Services ranked alongside fellow local government organizations such as Sussex Police as well as household names such as Unilever, Sky, and Aviva. Public sector organization The Stonewall Top 100 Employers list is compiled from t...

Within just 48 hours of the government announcing the acceleration of the national vaccination program, fire and rescue services are already supporting the effort and have vaccinated hundreds of people.   Almost half a million vaccinations have been given by fire and rescue service staff this year – and this figure is set to rocket in the coming days as more services will be administering the boosters. Up to 2,500 fire and rescue services, staff could assi...

The UK Fire Service is called out to extinguish fires in approximately 1,500 UK schools per year. Regardless of their size, these incidents disrupt the education of around 90,000 students each year, not to mention the economic strain caused by building damages. But most significant of all, these fires compromise safety. The government recently opened a consultation on proposed revisions to its non-statutory fire safety guidance in schools. Building Bulletin 100 The Building Bulletin 100 (BB10...

Thermal imaging is an advantageous tool for firefighters on the frontline. As thermal cameras have become more compact and affordable, their availability has expanded, along with their usefulness. We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: How does thermal imaging serve the needs of firefighters and how is it changing?  

Dispelling the myths about sprinklers, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service highlights the benefits of modern systems for both new builds and older properties. new year-long campaign This new year-long campaign led by the service’s Business Safety team will include COVID-safe events, as well as interactive social media chats, where local businesses can ask questions about how sprinklers work to extinguish fires at the source.  The campaign will focus on different business sectors each...

With recent developments in the approach out of lockdown, Fire and Rescue Services nationwide have been publishing useful advice and guidance for commercial/non-domestic buildings. A recent news item published by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) for example, announced a new fire safety leaflet “Returning to Work after COVID-19 Lockdowns” noting important fire safety measures that should continue to be followed to adhere to legislation. new safety measures BAFE has...

Recently there have been five UK fires in commercial and residential timber framed buildings. Fires which have put multiple lives and property at risk. The Worcester Park fire in September saw a four-story block of flats destroyed and families lose their homes and belongings. Despite the widely reported tragedy at Grenfell Tower in 2017 and the progress made from the Independent Review of Building Regulations by Dame Judith Hackitt, fires are not decreasing in frequency, size or impact. The Fir...

The award category has seen a record number of entries for 2015 The Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service was announced as the winner of the Driving Efficiency Through Technology award at the LGC Awards ceremony in London on Wednesday 11th March. Shortlisted entries included The Improvement Service, Islington LBC, Lancashire County Council and Southwark LBC. The Service’s Incident Command Training Suite (ICTS) met all the criteria for this new award. Opened in 2010...

The event was the perfect occasion for users to share experiences and learn about new aspects of RescueSim The RescueSim User Conference 2014 saw a successful gathering of industry, defence and emergency response professionals from around the globe engaging in animated group discussions, interactive workshops and best practice presentations during a packed day programme.  Organised by VSTEP and hosted by the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) at their headquarters an...

The partnership reconfirms RescueSim as the virtual training software of choice The Cheshire Fire Authority and VSTEP renew their partnership for training of fire & rescue personnel through use of the virtual incident management platform RescueSim. The partnership reconfirms RescueSim as the virtual training software of choice at the high-tech Cheshire Fire Authority training centre in Winsford. The decision to renew the partnership and continue working with RescueSim...

Fire fighters deal with warehouse firefor hours on 2nd December Cheshire fire crew tackle warehouse blaze on December 2nd. Fire fighters have been battling a blaze at a warehouse in Cheshire since the early hours on December 2nd, highlighting the importance of carrying out a thorough fire risk assessment. The Chester Enterprise Centre is only around 100 metres away from Chester's railway station and the fire caused a suspension of services passing through. Around 60 people...

"This was a case of someone failing to understand theirresponsibility as a landlord"  The landlord pleaded guilty to eight counts of breaching the Fire Safety Order 2005 in his three-storey property where the top two floors had been transformed into a number of flats. The importance of businesses complying with regulations has been highlighted by the prosecution and fining of a landlord who was ordered to pay £8,500 for fire safety breaches. Cheshire Fire and...

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and Jill Halfpenny have launched the 'Fire Kills Campaign' Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service has joined forces with celebrity, Jill Halfpenny, to launch the latest 'Fire Kills Campaign' from the Department of Communities and Local Government. As part of the London launch of the national 'Don't Drown in Toxic Smoke' campaign, Jill Halfpenny, was placed in a simulation unit provided by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service. She then exp...

The pioneering campaign won the Partnership Initiative of the Year prize at the SHP IOSH Awards The pioneering campaign included an online viral marketing presentation with a James Bond theme and a dramatic reconstruction of a fire in a student flat.The campaign won the 'Partnership Initiative of the Year' prize at the SHP IOSH Awards, which recognise outstanding contributions in the world of health and safety. The initiative was described by judges as 'a subtle, yet h...