London Fire Brigade News

Do follow basic safety and preventive measures in order to avoide catastrophic fires and accidents The number of grass fires across the capital rose by over 30% from May to June this year. Following a spate of grass fires across the capital, London's firefighters are warning people to take extra care during the hot weather. Andy Hickmott, London Fire Brigade's Assistant Commissioner for Community Fire Safety, said: "With the hot weather set to continue we're bracing ourselve...

Firefighters across London participated in extrication challenge held at LFB's Southwark HQ on 26 June Firefighters used their experience and specialist equipment to safely rescue trapped or injured casualties from wrecked vehicles. London firefighters have taken first place in a competition which saw them pitting their skills against nine other UK Fire and Rescue Services. The Regional Extrication Challenge – in which fire crews simulate releasing casualties involved i...

Vibrating and flash fire alarms are helpful for deaf and hard hearing people to warn against fires Firefighters are using Deaf Awareness Week to raise awareness of specialist smoke alarms for the deaf and hard of hearing, which flash or can be wired up to vibrating pads in pillows, as well as sounding an alarm. Without a smoke alarm, deaf and hard of hearing people run the risk of dying in silence, warned London's firefighters today, ahead of Deaf Awareness Week (28 June - 4...

London Fire and Emergency PlanningAuthority (LFEPA) runsthe London Fire Brigade for fire safety Mayor announces London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) membership. Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced the membership of London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA), which runs the London Fire Brigade. The appointments are based on nominations provided by the London Assembly and London Councils, plus two Mayoral appointments. Cllr Brian Coleman AM F...

London Fire Brigade has welcomed the Court's judgement against New Look New Look pleaded guilty to two breaches of the RRO at Southwark Crown Court on 25 November 2009 following a prosecution by the London Fire Brigade. London Fire Brigade has welcomed a decision by the Court of Appeal yesterday which gives guidance to sentencing for serious breaches of fire safety legislation. The judgment which dismissed New Look’s appeal against sentence is the first decision made b...

Sian Griffiths, one of the firefighters with exceptional contribution to the act of couragePhoto: Tim Hoy Sian Griffiths, one of the first women firefighters in the country, has been awarded the Queen's Fire Service Medal (QFSM) for distinguished service in the 12th June Birthday Honors List.The Queen's Fire Service Medal is awarded by Her Majesty the Queen to those members of the fire service who have exhibited exceptional contribution and devotion to duty or acts of gall...

Brian Coleman has been reappointed as chairman of London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority Mayor of London Boris Johnson has reappointed Councillor Brian Coleman AM FRSA as Chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority. Brian Coleman said: "I will continue the work that I have started, to modernise the London Fire Brigade to bring it into the 21st Century. In these harsh economic times we will not waste taxpayer's money, but continue to provide the most eff...

London Fire Brigade's going green initiative has helped in preserving the enviornmental balance Projects put in place by the London Fire Brigade have led to savings of £260,000 this year alone. New figures announced on the eve of World Environment Day (5 June), show that London Fire Brigade's green projects are not only protecting the environment but are also saving London's taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds every year. With pressure growing to save both money...

London will get a security boost from the newly introduced DIM anti-terror vehicles The new vehicle will be on-call in strategic locations 24-hours a day, ready to respond to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) incidents. A new rapid response Detection, Identification and Monitoring (DIM) vehicle – capable of tackling terror attacks and other major emergencies - hits London's streets this week, reinforcing the capital's position as one of the best prote...

London Fire Brigade stressed  the importance of fire safety measures in pubs London Fire Brigade has warned that pub owners won’t be cashing in during the world cup, if they have a fire on their premises. With thousands of people watching the world cup in pubs this summer the London Fire Brigade is urging bar owners and managers to make sure their premises are safe from fire. According to the British Beer and Pub Association the UK pub industry could be boosted by...

Fires caused by barbecues can be avoided by following a few simple fire safety rules National Barbecue Week fast approaching, London's firefighters are advising people to take care with barbecues. Every year the Brigade is called to fires caused by barbecues, but by following a few simple fire safety rules, this situation can be avoided. Andy Hickmott, London Fire Brigade's Assistant Commissioner for Community Fire Safety, said: "We want people to enjoy the warm weather but a...

Planning and practising an escape route can vastly increase chances of surviving a fire Planning an escape route could be the difference between life and death if there's a fire in your home, according to London Fire Brigade. Andy Hickmott, London Fire Brigade's Assistant Commissioner for Community Fire Safety, said: "Firefighters attend around 110 accidental home fires in London each week, some of which are serious and sadly sometimes even fatal. Fire can strike wh...

Regulatory Reform Order was discussed at Community Link with London's business community London Fire Brigade will outline how important it is for businesses to understand the law and their role in fire safety. Forging stronger community links and explaining important fire safety legislation were top of the agenda when London Fire Brigade hosted a reception for an organisation that represents Islington's minority business community on Friday 23 April. The event, called Commun...

Fifty-six firefighters form London Fire Brigade took a 26.2 mile course of Marathon 2010 Fifty-six firefighters and non-uniformed staff of London Fire Brigade took the challenge to run the 26.2-mile course to raise cash for thirty-nine charities and good causes. Over fifty members of London Fire Brigade's staff took part in this year's London Marathon, raising around £50,000 for various charities. Fifty-six firefighters and non-uniformed staff took the challenge to...

Steve Hamm and Jim Knighton have newly been appointed assistant commissioners of London Fire Brigade The new Assistant Commissioners will be major players in the day-to-day running of London Fire Brigade.  The London Fire Brigade has appointed two new Assistant Commissioners, with both staff in post from 4 May. Jim Knighton has taken up the post of Assistant Commissioner for Operational Policy. Jim, who has served in the capital since 1984, has been promot...

Bulk foam units will ward off emergency fire situations across London The highly specialised vehicles introduced in London Fire Brigade enable firefighters to tackle emergencies like aircraft crashes, chemical spills or fires on large industrial sites with large amounts of foam.   Three bulk foam unit appliances go on the run in London this week backed by new training and staffing capabilities dramatically improving London's ability to fight major fires or spil...

Tesco has been fined for breaches of fire legislation including not carrying out fire risk assessment The retailer Tesco has been fined £95,000 and ordered to pay £24,321 in costs after pleading guilty to serious breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the "RRO").   London Fire Brigade prosecuted Tesco following a fire and subsequent inspection of a supermarket at Colney Hatch in Barnet. Firefighters were called to a fire at t...

LFB has launched a new video on YouTube highlighting the importance of smoke alarms Six out of ten people who died in fires in last year had no smoke alarm fitted in their home, according to new figures released by London Fire Brigade. The statistics also show that over half of the people who were injured by fires in the home last year didn't have this simple life saving device either. London Fire Brigade is warning Londoners that they are risking their lives by not e...

Catherine Levin brings a wealth of fire-policy experience to the London Fire Brigade London Fire Brigade has appointed a new Deputy Head of Community Fire Safety. Catherine Levin joined the Brigade in March and reports directly to the Brigade's head of Community Fire Safety, Assistant Commissioner, Andy Hickmott.Prior to joining the brigade, Catherine worked as a civil servant for ten years and has five years experience working in fire policy at the Department of...

Fire Safety Regulatory Reform has created major positive changes in fire safety The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order came into force in October 2006 and replaced over 70 separate pieces of fire safety legislation. London Fire Brigade is warning London's business and premises owners that by not paying attention to fire safety laws, they are not only putting lives at risk but could also face heavy fines. The Brigade has revealed that last year in London the co...

The kit, supplied by Bristol Uniforms, has undergone rigorous testing and evaluation London's firefighters now have a new look following the introduction of their new-style fire kit this week. The new blue fire kit will be worn by the men and women of London Fire Brigade when responding to ‘999' calls. It replaces the previous kit which came into service in 1999. The kit is supplied by Bristol Uniforms and was selected following rigorous testing...

From (L to R) Mark Whittall with Charlie Harwood and Tooting Station Manager, John Day Charlie spent the war years fighting fires in London, attending many of the major blazes and incidents, including those during the Blitz. 100-year-old Charlie Harwood, who served as a fire fighter in Tooting during World War two, visited Tooting fire station recently to celebrate his 100th birthday with fire fighters from the station's green watch. Charlie was presented with a comme...

London Fire Brigade's MTE scheme will break one-point entry into fire services London Fire Brigade is launching a ground breaking management recruitment campaign designed to tap in top talent from other industries. The Multi-Tier Entry (MTE) scheme aims to attract high-capability people from different backgrounds to bring in expertise, as well as new leadership and management styles. Chairman of London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority Brian Coleman AM FRSA said: "This...

The fourth London safety plan is built on excellent work done by members of London Fire Brigade The fourth London safety plan agreed by London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority at its meeting on 18 March is built on excellent work already carried out by the London Fire Brigade's 7,000 staff members. It proposes new ways of delivering some of its resources to incidents, expands the work of the London local authority co-ordination centre run by the Brigade on behalf of...

Old Fire Station, Stoke Newington, Hackney, London. Photo: Fin Fahey This guidance is intended to help those authorities who are faced with applications for alteration and adaptation.From the compact allure of Belsize to the elaborate Victorian splendour of Kensington, London's historic fire station buildings are an instantly recognisable part of the capital. The one that remain in active use are part of their proud legacy of civic buildings that are cherished by their com...

The premise safety failings included no fire extinguishers, no emergency signage and no fire risk assessment A former pub landlord has been ordered to pay £16,015 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to serious breaches of fire safety legislation following a prosecution brought by the London Fire Brigade. Mr Bhupinder Singh Mann admitted guilt on 16 contraventions of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Sentencing occurred on Friday, 26 February 2...

The agreement between LFB and Hilton aims to promote fire safety and reduce false alarms London's first agreement between the fire service and a hotel chain has been signed by London Fire Brigade and Hilton Worldwide. The landmark agreement, exclusively for Hilton's hotels in London, is the result of an ongoing dialogue with regards to safety procedures and aims to promote additional fire safety, reduce the number of false alarms the Brigade attends and strengthen the...

  London's first new additional fire station was officially opened by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson The new station has state-of-the-art all weather training facilities.London's first new additional fire station for over a decade was officially opened by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, Thursday 11 February. Harold Hill fire station on Ashton Road in Romford will improve attendance times of firefighters responding to emergencies in the north east area of Havering...

The LFB won the Sustainable Refurbishment of the Year category The London Fire Brigade has won an award at the prestigious CIBSE Low Carbon Performance Awards (3 February, 2010). The Brigade was given the accolade in the sustainable refurbishment of the year category for the work carried out at Croydon Fire Station. The extensive refurbishment at the station has cut CO2 emission by more than 50%. Chairman of London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority's Finance,...

Young people were awarded at a special ceremony at the Brigade's Southwark Training Centre Over 80 young people from all over London have been recognised for their outstanding achievements while attending a firefighting skills course run by the London Fire Brigade. The Local Intervention Fire Education (LIFE) programme is an intensive five day course that teaches young people between the ages of 13 and 17 firefighting skills alongside real firefighters. At a special ceremo...