Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service News

A fire that broke out at Slough bus station in the early hours of 29 October 2022 is being investigated by Thames Valley Police. Six fire appliances from Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) attended the blaze that spread across the entire roof of Slough bus station. Aerial ladder platform deployed Tim Readings, the Group Manager for RBFRS, confirmed that the fire was 20m by 40m in scale, “When they got there, it was a very well-developed fire, the bus was already well-alight...

Ten people from across the fire sector have been named in the New Year Honors 2022 lists, in recognition of their services. The honors system recognizes extraordinary people, who in accordance with the list's criteria, ‘made achievements in public life and committed themselves to serving and helping the UK.’ Ongoing impactful work The FPA would like to extend their heartfelt thanks and congratulations to everyone named in the New Year Honours list for 2022, for their ongoing impa...

Previously paramedics have turned to police colleagues to force entry to a locked property so they can provide vital first aid care. However, a year-long trial across Thames Valley has demonstrated that involving firefighters in the first-call attendance can result in faster response times, less damage to property, and most importantly, improved outcomes for residents requiring emergency medical treatment. Reduce damage In a collaboration involving the three fire and rescue services of Thames...

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) joins the Business Disability Forum, further solidifying its commitment to supporting disabled people within the Service and the communities. About Business Disability Forum The Business Disability Forum is a not-for-profit membership organization, aiming to help other organizations become fully accessible to disabled service users and employees. They promote best practices and work with organizations to set and influence policy so that it benefi...

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is reminding residents, as part of a month-long Fire Kills campaign, to put it out, right out if they smoke. Fires caused by smoking products kill more people than fires caused by any other item, but there are simple steps that residents can take to reduce the chances of smoking leading to a fire, including not smoking while tired, using a proper and secure ashtray, and stubbing out cigarettes properly. All of these steps can greatly reduce the ri...

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is urging Berkshire residents to ‘Be Water Aware’ as part of the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) Drowning Prevention and Water Safety Week (26 April – 2 May).  Accidental drownings In 2019, 223 people tragically lost their lives in accidental drownings and 44% of those people had no intention of ever being in the water. More people died in the UK in 2019 from accidental drowning than cyclists did on the road. R...

New vehicles have been deployed at Maidenhead, Hungerford, Lambourn, Crowthorne, Mortimer, and Caversham Road fire stations. They are a standard Ford Ranger Crew Cab (5 seats) fitted with a permanently installed canopy over the rear bed for safety and security. The vehicles are all fitted with a towbar as standard a blue light emergency response package and scene lighting. Improving logistics The new Ford Ranger vehicles will provide logistical support at incidents and improve the resilience...

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service is supporting this week’s National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) National Sprinkler Week campaign (17 – 23 May), promoting the benefits of sprinklers in keeping people and buildings safe from fire. Sprinklers are widely recognized as the single most effective method for fighting the spread of fires in their early stages. Fire sprinkler systems Sprinkler systems can also protect property and increase sustainability, but more critically,...

During 6-12 September, Royal Berkshire Fire, and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is supporting the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Business Safety Week. Business Safety Week urges local businesses that have re-opened their doors not to overlook fire safety and ensure it remains a top priority in the workplace. Throughout the week, RBFRS will be reminding businesses of their fire safety responsibilities so that they comply with legislation to keep both premises and occupants safe from fire. Steps to...

Four fire engines have been deployed at fire stations in Royal Berkshire, as part of ongoing investment by the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority. Bracknell, Ascot, and Wokingham Road (in Reading) are the latest fire stations to receive a new Volvo fire engine, as part of a joint procurement process project between Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS), Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes, and Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service. Upgrading to new engines The Volvo fire en...

Firefighters are serving the community from Theale Community Fire Station, after successfully relocating from Dee Road Fire Station in Tilehurst. The relocation has been made possible due to a team effort involving staff from across the Service, led by the Capital Projects Team, who have worked effectively with the contractors on site. Contractors Knights Brown began the build in January 2020 and despite the challenges of working during a global pandemic, they have completed the build and...

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is urging festival-goers to be aware of some important safety advice before attending Reading Festival this bank holiday weekend. David Grayson, Watch Based Station Manager, said, “While we want you to have a great time and enjoy the festival this weekend, we also want to remind you of some vital safety advice that could make all the difference to your festival experience.” “Remember, a fire can destroy a tent in under 60 second...

28 Fire Cadets from across the County showed off their new skills at a Graduation Ceremony held at Whitley Wood Training Center on 21 July 2021. Fire Cadets is run at four fire stations across the County – Crowthorne, Maidenhead, Newbury, and Whitley Wood. It is an initiative that encourages young people between the ages of 12-16 to experience what being a firefighter involves. Fire cadet course The course is an opportunity for young people to develop new life skills by taking part in f...

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is supporting the month-long Fire Kills Smoke Alarm Purchasing campaign, encouraging households across the County to purchase enough smoke alarms to cover their entire household.  A common reason for a smoke alarm failing to activate is because the smoke didn’t reach the detector, meaning that one smoke alarm may not be enough to provide the best chance of escaping a fire in the home. Having numerous smoke alarms offers better protecti...

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is supporting this month’s Fire Kills smoke alarm testing campaign, urging households across the County to test the smoke alarms in their houses regularly.  Statistics show that only 26 percent of all households who own a smoke alarm test them regularly and in the year ending March 2020, there were 199 fire-related deaths in the home. Testing smoking alarms By supporting the Fire Skills smoke alarm testing campaign, RBFRS hopes to enc...

The finishing touches are being applied on the project to build Theale Community Fire Station by the contractor, Knights Brown. Building work on the new station began in January 2020 and rapid progress has been made throughout, as highlighted by this timelapse footage captured on site. Collaborative working opportunity This new station supports the ongoing commitment to working collaboratively with emergency service partners, offering a shared location for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue...

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is recruiting the next group of Fire Cadets for the new academic year. About the initiative Fire Cadets is a youth initiative for young people between 12 and 16 years old and is run by firefighters and members of RBFRS staff and volunteers, with educational support from the Safety Education Team. Fire Cadets participate in practical and theoretical fire and rescue service activities, including hose drills, breathing apparatus procedures, and fir...

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) announce that it has achieved Level Three ‘Leader’ status in the Disability Confident scheme. In becoming a Disability Confident Leader, the service joins approximately 360 other organizations who have achieved this level, of over 20,000 organizations who have signed up to the scheme. Submission and evaluation before accreditation This achievement is a testament to the work of colleagues across all areas of the service to ensure that...

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is supporting the National Fire Chiefs Council’s cooking safety campaign in July, urging residents to take extra care when cooking at home and when using barbecues in the warm weather.  Ian Barks, Central Hub Prevention Manager, said, “Half of all accidental fires in the home start in the kitchen, often because people get distracted by their phone, TV, or by interactions with friends and family. Whatever happens elsewhere in...

Royal Berkshire Fire Authority has donated a vehicle and a range of firefighting equipment to a charity partnership that works to assist the emergency response of The Gambia Fire and Ambulance Service. The Gambia and Avon Fire Services in Partnership (GAFSIP) is a charitable trust between Avon Fire and Rescue Service and The Gambia Fire and Ambulance Service, which has been in existence since 1991. The GAFSIP partnership aims to preserve and protect health in The Gambia by enabling a life-savin...

A milestone has been reached in the project to build a new community fire station in Theale, United Kingdom. At the beginning of February 2021, construction work on Theale Community Fire Station was completed, at the highest point of the building, when the last beam was placed on the roof. This milestone is usually marked with a ‘Topping Out’ ceremony, which is a long-standing tradition that signifies the successful completion of the structural phase of a project. Theale Community...

An inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) confirmed that Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service (RBFRS) has adapted and responded to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic effectively, thereby highlighting the additional support that the fire service has been offering its communities, throughout this public health crisis. RBFRS response to COVID-19 In August 2020, the UK Home Secretary commissioned HMICFRS to examine how fire and rescue...

As part of the Fire Kills Candle Safety Week campaign, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is raising awareness of the fire hazards that come with candles, particularly in the lead-up to Halloween and Diwali. With celebrations looking slightly different this year in light of the COVID-19 control measures in place and with many organized events being canceled, RBFRS is asking residents to take extra care while celebrating in their homes and gardens. Lighting candles with care Gail...

A successful prosecution was brought by Royal Berkshire Fire Authority against a business owner following several serious fire safety breaches. The then business owner - Mr. Sharhan Safie of Paya Restaurant, London Street in Reading, pleaded guilty to nine charges all relating to breaches of the Fire Safety Order at Reading Magistrates Court on 8 November 2019. Nature of breaches Mr. Safie failed to undertake a fire risk assessment and to take adequate fire safety arrangements Following a fi...

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is urging residents to take care when using emollient creams. The warning comes after research from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), Anglia Ruskin University, and De Montfort University, which confirmed that both paraffin and non-paraffin emollients can act as accelerants when absorbed into clothing and exposed to naked flames or other heat sources. Risk due to emollient absorption Emollients are not flammable in themselves, but the risk...

The Armed Forces Veterans’ Hub was launched in Royal Berkshire on 7 November, following receipt of the Gold Award in the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme in 2020. This affirms the Fire Authority and Service’s ongoing commitment to the Armed Forces community. The Armed Forces Veterans’ Hub launch event was hosted virtually by the Fire Authority, coordinated jointly between the Service and MP James Sunderland. It coincided with Remembrance Sunday and has b...

The work of Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) has again been recognized in the Queen’s New Year Honours list. Chief Fire Officer Trevor Ferguson has been awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal for Distinguished Service (QFSM) for services to the fire and rescue sector. This award follows a recent successful inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Service, where Her Majesty’s Inspector Matt Parr concluded, “Our firs...

Contractors working on the build of Theale Community Fire Station have made good progress during recent months, with the new station starting to take shape. The installation of the steel superstructure took place at the end of September 2020, following extensive work to prepare the station’s foundations. Plans to build Theale Community Fire Station got underway in January 2020. It is the latest in a series of investments by the Fire Authority, following the refurbishment of the Hungerford...

Now that businesses are starting to operate again, there are some key fire safety matters for organizations to consider, in order ensure employees can return safety back to work. The Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service (RBFRS), Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service (BFRS) and Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service (OFRS) are helping businesses return to work safely, in these extraordinary times. Adapting to new ways of working Businesses have had to adapt to new ways of working, over...

The Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service (RBFRS) is supporting the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) week-long sprinkler campaign, taking place from 18-24 May, 2020. Sprinklers are widely recognized as the most effective method of fighting the early stages of a fire, can save lives and reduce damage to property. RBFRS’ Area Manager for Prevention and Protection, Doug Buchanan, said “Although times are challenging at the moment, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we w...