Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service News

Nine new on-call firefighters have been welcomed into Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service (NFRS) – including the fifth member of the same family to join the service. George Powell, 18, who will be based at Diss Fire Station, joins his older brothers, Harry and Joe, his dad Robert and his sister-in-law Kayleigh at NFRS after completing the initial two-week training course to become an on-call firefighter. Career in the fire service Harry and Joe are also both whole-time firefighters based...

In December, two west Norfolk fire stations are throwing their doors open to welcome members of the public for festive treats and to learn more about Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service. Fakenham Fire Station and King’s Lynn North Fire Station will be welcoming visitors between 1 pm and 5 pm, with members of the public of all ages invited to drop by between 1 pm and 5 pm on the following dates: 10th December: Fakenham Fire Station, Norwich Road, Fakenham NR21 8BB 17th December:...

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service have become the first fire service in the country to move to a fleet of electric emergency response cars. Following the end of the lease period on the previous emergency response cars operated by the service, the decision has been made to move to hybrid electric vehicles. The vehicles allow incident commanders to travel swiftly to take command of, or offer support to, ongoing incidents. plug-in hybrid electric vehicles Forty-five Hyundai Tucson plug-in hybrid e...

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service is reminding residents to heat their homes safely this winter. With the recent rise in energy prices, residents may turn to alternative methods of heating, such as electric heaters and blankets. Both items can be effective ways of staying warm if used correctly. If someone chooses to use an electric heater to keep warm, first ensure that any heater purchased carries the mark of the British Electrotechnical Approvals Board, which means it is has been properly test...

Crews from two Norfolk Fire Stations are working with the East of England Ambulance Service to respond to some medical incidents in Norfolk, United Kingdom (UK). The scheme, which is currently underway, sees Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) crews responding to adult cases of cardiac arrest within areas surrounding Sheringham and North Walsham Fire Stations. The Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service crew are co-responding to incidents, along with the East of England Ambulance Service. The trial...

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate has published a report on Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service. The overall judgment was that the service requires improvement, although there are key areas judged to be good, including an understanding of fires and other risks in Norfolk’s communities and our response to incidents. Interim Chief Fire Officer Tim Edwards said, "We welcome the report and are pleased that four areas of our work were recognized as being good, with two of these improvements si...

Major incidents were declared on Tuesday 19 July 2022 by fire services in London, Leicestershire, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire, following a devastating outbreak of fires on the hottest recorded day in the UK. nine fires In London, over 400 firefighters were tackling at least nine fires through the night that began on Tuesday. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has detailed where their resources were sent as the day went on: 30 fire engines and 175 firefighters att...

More than half of all Norfolk house fires last year started in the kitchen, with more than 200 blazes across the county being linked to cooking. Figures released by Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service as part of Home Fire Safety Week show that, in 2021, crews attended 389 fires in homes across the county, with 221 starting in the kitchen. Cooking-related causes included cookers (99), cooking rings/ hotplates (50), and grills/toasters (22) with other sources being microwaves and deep fat fryers....

Tim Edwards has been appointed as Norfolk’s new interim chief fire officer. The appointment follows existing Chief Fire Officer Stuart Ruff’s announcement of his intention to retire from the service, which he has been at the helm of since the Spring of 2019. Chief Fire Officer Edwards joined Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service at the age of 16 in 1988 and served on various watches as an operational firefighter before rising up the ranks. Most recently he was appointed Assistant Chief Fi...

East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) and West Suffolk College are working together to broaden the scope of the Health and Social Care course, with the aim of attracting more students.   A six-week taster module has been designed by EEAST staff for the Health and Social Care course, which starts on the 23rd September, 2021, in order to offer both skills and an insight into career development opportunities in the ambulance service. EEAST course covering ambulance service...

The number of Police Fire and Crime Commissioners could rise after the PCC elections on 6 May, as the UK Government indicates strong support for this type of governance. Currently, there are four Police Fire and Crime Commissioners in England: Staffordshire Essex Northamptonshire North Yorkshire Julia Mulligan is stepping down in North Yorkshire and Mathew Ellis is likewise in Staffordshire. PCC elections Other PCCs have shown interest in taking on governance in the fire but have bee...

Business owners across Norfolk are being asked to check their fire risk assessments following incidents since pubs and restaurants reopened for outdoor dining in the county. Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service has attended two fires involving the use of outdoor heaters at licensed premises this month. There have also been several incidents across the county of fires in residential gardens as people use barbecues, patio heaters, and fire pits to allow outdoor socializing in cool weather. Accidents...

Two Norfolk paramedics from the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) went above and beyond the call of duty by tackling a fire in a top-floor flat before evacuating the building. Doug Bishop and Jonathan Poole were the first emergency service at the flats on Hunstanton High Street, shortly after 2pm on Thursday 9th July, 2020 and found the couple who had reported the fire at the bottom of the four-storey building. Hearing the fire was still ablaze and residents in neighboring flats were st...

Almost 300 ambulance shifts were completed by Norfolk’s firefighters during their first month of supporting their blue light colleagues during the Covid-19 pandemic. The first group of 24 on-call firefighters who volunteered for the secondment carried out 278 shifts, equating to 3,336 hours of work, during the first four weeks after completing their training. They have now returned to their fire stations and been replaced with a further 25 on-call firefighters who started their ambulance...

Norfolk’s Chief Fire Officer and his team are working with colleagues at The East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) to identify ways fire service staff can support them during the COVID-19 pandemic. This morning, the National Fire Chiefs Council published a national agreement following discussions with Fire and Rescue Services and the Fire Brigades Union. It paves for the way for the local discussions to identify areas where Norfolk’s firefighters and other staff can best s...

A report highlighting progress made since Norfolk’s police and fire service signed a pledge to work better together has been released. Members of Norfolk County Council’s cabinet will be presented with the first Annual Report into Norfolk’s Police and Fire Collaboration on Monday. Councilor Margaret Dewsbury, Cabinet Member for Communities and Partnerships, said: “This report underlines the commitment by staff in both services to take action and work better together for t...

The taster slots will allow people to find out more and see if a career as a firefighter could be for them Norfolk residents keen on exploring a hot new job opportunity are invited to taster sessions to find out more about becoming a full-time firefighter. Residents from across the county are invited to have a go to see if they want to take the plunge and apply for the whole time posts when applications open in August. Taster sessions are being held at Norwich (Bowthorpe), Ki...

Retained firefighters receive a retainer for being on call and carry an alerter to notify them of an incident More than 20 extra firefighters will be reporting for duty following a recruitment drive to fill on-call vacancies across Norfolk. Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service is still searching for more new potential recruits to join them in helping to keep rural communities safe. Two back-to-back recruitment training courses have been run after an influx of interest in t...

The staff were honoured for contributions to the Fire Fighters' Charity, Youth Development and Cadet of the Year The dedication of staff at Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service has been recognised at an awards ceremony held at County Hall in Norwich. As well as commending staff who go the extra mile, Norfolk's chief fire officer David Ashworth paid tribute to the commitment of all his teams. The service’s unsung heroes were honoured for long service, good conduct and maki...

David worked as a Junior Firefighter at 16 before serving at Kings Lynn and Norwich and Sprowston as an operational firefighter David Ashworth has been announced as the new permanent Chief Fire Officer for Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS). David, who has been acting CFO for the past nine months, was selected following a competitive recruitment process. Building trust and respect of colleagues Tom McCabe, Director of Community and Environmental Services at Norfolk Count...

High Volume Pump from Harrogate was used at the Northern Power Melrosegate Electrical Sub Station (York) to keep it operational North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service continue to respond to flooding incidents around the county and in the City of York with the majority of these, recently, being in Tadcaster, Malton and York. NYFRS is being supported by other Services including the use of High Volume Pumps from Tyne and Wear, Durham and Darlington and Nottingham fire and rescu...

The new station comprises of three vehicle bays and further facilities ranging from office space to a training tower Work to build a new fire station in York, has now been completed and from the 1st April 2014 firefighters have been operating from the new station at Kent Street. The Kent Street station has been built as a replacement for the fire station at Clifford Street, which is out-dated and no longer fit for use. The new station comprises of three vehicle bays and furt...

Over 50 FireAngel ST-620 smoke alarms were provided to protect children and staff Fire safety products specialist, Sprue Safety Products, has teamed up with Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service to provide 50 FireAngel ST-620 smoke alarms to protect children and staff at the Mary Ward Children’s Home in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe. The donation comes following a devastating fire at the home in May last year, in which a nine year-old boy, Aaron, tragically died and 17 year-old Takudzw...

The station wear will be worn by around 900 staff including firefighters, office staff and management Norfolk FRS has become the latest ICP user to add new station wear to its ICP PPE which was deployed early in 2010. Norfolk has chosen to opt for the new navy and red colour combination, which was introduced nationally last year, and will be worn by around 900 staff including firefighters, when not on operations, office staff and management. As the adoption of ICP procured f...

Norfolk County awards contract of a Custom Rescue and Commercial Pumper/Tanker to AFTC Arnprior Fire Trucks Corp. (“AFTC”) is pleased to announce they have been awarded the contract for the manufacturing of two custom fire apparatus. The Corporation of Norfolk County awarded the tender of a Custom Rescue and Commercial Pumper/Tanker to AFTC to be completed and delivered in late 2011. Manufacturing of the trucks will be at the company’s new state-of-the art p...

Firefighters must have a good understanding of electrical appliances and their safety from fires Enabling rescue services to extend their understanding of electrical fires, we help them develop best-practice techniques and approaches. With government statistics showing that approximately half of all accidental domestic fires in the UK are caused by electricity, hands-on training for front line staff is vital. To help address this issue, the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) rec...