Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (Australia) News

From 1 July 2023, the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service is adopting a new ‘Call Challenge’ policy, whereby it will stop attending automatic fire alarm (AFA) call-outs to commercial premises, such as factories, offices, shops, and leisure facilities unless a fire has been confirmed. This policy step-change is to reduce unwanted false fire alarms. False fire alarm systems  Fire alarm systems provide an early warning of fire and are one of the most effective ways to keep peopl...

From 1 July 2023, the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service is adopting a new ‘Call Challenge’ policy whereby it will stop attending automatic fire alarm (AFA) call-outs to commercial premises, such as factories, offices, shops, and leisure facilities, unless a fire has been confirmed. This policy step-change is to reduce unwanted false fire alarms. unwanted fire alarm signals Fire alarm systems provide an early warning of fire and are one of the most effective ways to keep people an...

The future of a fire station in South Lanarkshire is under review as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) prepares to launch a public consultation to gather views from the community. The SFRS will consider options for Leadhills Community Fire Station based on robust data, delivering community safety, value for money and feedback from the public and stakeholders. Views of the local community SFRS will gather the views of the local community on a way forward for the station The building...

Opening on Thursday, 29 June, the Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage is a new attraction designed to charm people of all ages and interests. Visitors will be able to explore five themes within the museum, which brings a touch of modern technology and interactive displays to the experience. The museum is located at the site of McDonald Road Fire Station in the heart of Edinburgh. The entrance can be found via Dryden Terrace. Kelly McMeekin is the Manager of Museum and Heritage at the...

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have announced that, from July 1st, 2023, they will no longer attend all alarm signals generated from an automatic fire alarm system. Instead, the Call Challenge approach will be invoked to reduce the number of false alarms their crews attend. “Call Challenge” approach In a bid to reduce false alarm callouts, fire services have successfully trialed and implemented similar approaches across England, and, following a rigorous public and pr...

A firefighting water safety expert has issued an urgent plea to water sport enthusiasts to prioritize their safety over selfies in summer. Piotr Gudan is an on-call firefighter with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, responding to emergencies via a pager system in his hometown of Blairgowrie. water-based emergencies The dad-of-one splits his time between responding to emergencies and running his own water sports business. Piotr, who has been a qualified water sports instructor fo...

Northwest Highland has been given a ‘very high’ warning, while all other areas of Scotland face an ‘extreme’ rating. An increased risk of wildfires begins today (Thursday, 15 June) and runs until Saturday, 17 June – however could be extended further as the warm weather continues. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) warns that many rural and remote communities are hugely impacted by wildfires, which can cause significant environmental and economic damage. R...

The figure has been revealed as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) gets ready to change the way it responds to unwanted fire alarm signals. From 1 July, 2023, an alarm activation will require those with fire safety responsibility, known as dutyholders, to investigate the cause of an alarm and only call 999 once a fire has been confirmed. This approach is already embedded across several other UK fire and rescue services, who require a confirmed fire before they send fire appliances. Cu...

Firefighters across the North of Scotland responded to more than 6,600 unwanted fire alarm signals last year - the equivalent of around 18 a day. The figure has been revealed as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) gets ready to change the way it responds to unwanted fire alarm signals (UFAS).  fire safety responsibility From 1 July 2023, an alarm activation will require those with fire safety responsibility, known as duty holders, to investigate the cause of...

From 1 July, 2023 an alarm activation will require those with fire safety responsibility, known as duty holders, to investigate the cause of an alarm and only call 999 once a fire has been confirmed. This approach is already embedded across several other UK fire and rescue services, which require a confirmed fire before they send fire appliances.   The change in response will affect all premises and businesses that do not provide sleeping accommodation. Hospitals, care homes, hotels, stude...

A ‘very high’ warning for an increased risk of wildfires begins today (Wednesday, 7 June, 2023) and runs until Saturday, 10 June, 2023. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) warns that many rural and remote communities are hugely impacted by wildfires, which can cause significant environmental and economic damage. risk awareness Station Commander - John Harvey, said, "We know that many people will be hoping to enjoy the outdoors when the weather is good, but we urge everyone...

Crews are working to dampen down the area and will remain at Cannich, near Inverness until the area is made safe. The burn area covers approximately fifteen square kilometers (approx. 1,500 hectares). At its height, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) mobilized nine appliances and a number of other resources to bring the fire under control. The emergency response included the use of helicopters to water bomb the affected area. Impacted on the rural community SFRS Group Commander - Nia...

A wildfire warning that has been in place since Friday, 26 May has been extended across many parts of Scotland until Monday, 5 June. The warning, which has been graded as ‘very high’ as the warm weather forecast continues, covers the majority of East, Central and Southern Scotland. The ongoing wildfire at Cannich near Inverness is entering its fourth day, after the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was alerted on Sunday, 28 May at 12.46 pm. Firefighters had previously att...

At this time of year, there is still a build-up of dead grass and heather left over from last year which can dry very quickly as temperatures increase and pose a heightened risk of fire. People who live, work, or visit rural areas are being urged to exercise caution over the next few days. The very high warning – released in conjunction with the Scottish Wildfire Forum (SWF) – remains in place until Monday, 29 May, 2023. This covers East, Central, and Southern Scotland. High intens...

A firefighter running the Edinburgh Marathon after a cycling accident says he’ll ‘dig deep’ to complete the race to raise funds for the charity that helped him recover. Piotr Gudan, who lives in Perthshire, had been with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as an on-call firefighter for a mere six months when he was told his arm may need to be amputated following a cycling accident. Piotr Gudan The dad-of-one, originally from Poland, moved to Blairgowrie with his new wife in...

The specialist Portsafe board has been installed by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) at Aviemore's Loch Morlich and is one of the first of its kind in Scotland. coded padlock system Designed to reduce the vandalism or theft of life-saving equipment, the board uses a coded padlock system to protect a water rescue throwline contained within. In the event of an emergency, a member of the public can call 999 and quote their location. They will then obtain a code from Operations Control...

Delegates attending this free to attend seminar, which is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, 22nd February, 2023, in Hamilton, Scotland, will participate in an intense 3 hours of presentation, delivered by experts, focusing on automatic fire suppression standards and regulations. Water Mist Roadshows This is the second in the series of Water Mist Roadshows hosted by the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA) and the Fire Industry Association (FIA). Earn valuable CPD hours for fr...

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is supporting the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, following five firefighters being taken to hospital, one who is in a critical condition. 22 fire appliances attended the fire at a former department store in Edinburgh, Scotland. A total of 11 fire engines and specialist equipment remain at the scene. Firefighters injured in store fire It is always devastating when firefighters are injured attending incidents" The Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Cou...

A super-hospital in Glasgow is set to begin a multi-million-pound remediation project to remove cladding from the exterior of the building. The work, which will start on 27 November 2022, is expected to continue until 2027. With a total cost of £33 million, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital project will involve the removal of panels from the atrium alongside other remedial work. cost of remedial work According to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC), the Scottish government is...

A recent fire incident in Greenock where a child nearly died has seen Scottish emergency service officials highlight the danger of combustible waste being left in tenement closes. Murdo Henderson, Inverclyde group commander for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has raised concerns over dangerous and flammable items being left in these areas, saying "It is an ongoing issue that we have a great concern about." Hospital for smoke inhalation With no specific legislation that they are ab...

The first women’s Firesports UK and English Fire Service Football tournament took place recently in Manchester. A team from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) entered and were thrilled to reach the finals. However, they were just beaten in the last match by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, who have agreed to host the next games. Firefighter - Alice Coggan took part in the match and said it was a fantastic event, with teams joining in from as far away as West Sussex and Co...

A stark warning about the risks of taking shortcuts in an attempt to save fuel costs has been given by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Group Commander - David Girrity told a meeting of the Midlothian Police, Fire and Rescue Board that fires in homes will increase as the cost-of-living crisis hits households, according to the Edinburgh Evening News. Single occupancy households Group Commander - David Girrity said: “The poverty of fuel, I can see that exacerbating the issues in rela...

The ongoing Fatal Accident Inquiry into the fire at Cameron House in December 2017, where two men died, has heard there was a “management failing” at the hotel. Simon Midgley, 32, and his partner, Richard Dyson, 38, from London, died as a result of the fire, and hotel company Cameron House Resort (Loch Lomond) Ltd was previously fined £500,000, after admitting to two charges of breaching the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005. Night porter Christopher O’Malley was also given a com...

Responding to an average of nearly 30,000 calls a year to false alarms generated from automated fire alarm activations, unwanted fire alarm signals (UFAS) account for 30% of all incidents by the service. Time for Change Reducing Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals is a new consultation document from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. It shows that only 2% of automatic fire alarms from non-domestic properties were actual fires, with only a tiny percentage requiring firefighting as the majority were...

MSA Bristol is a foremost supplier of personal protective equipment (PPE) to firefighters across the globe. Its specialist, in-house managed services team are now responsible for the inspection, washing, and repair of all structural, urban search and rescue, and wildland PPE for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s 6,660 firefighters, including fire coats, trousers, hoods, and gloves. As part of the contract, MSA Bristol regularly collects PPE from key fire service hubs which are spread thr...

The RNLI was featured on the BBC news yesterday showing how they are preparing for the coming season. This includes an increase in the number of lifeguards on the beaches. Very apt with the lovely sunshine they enjoyed. With the prospect of few, if any foreign holidays this year, coastal and inland waterways are likely to be busier than ever. Water rescue equipment The lockdown has given many organizations the chance to update their water rescue equipment and the photo shows Michael Gemmell f...

As of 6th May, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is changing its response to automatic fire alarm activations during the coronavirus pandemic. Full statement from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service: Pre-determined attendance at automatic fire alarm actuations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is taking all necessary measures to minimize disruption to the emergency response during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Demand on front-line resources...

BAFE is delighted to announce that Lewis Ramsay QFSM has joined the BAFE Board of Directors. Lewis Ramsay is a former Assistant Chief Fire Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service specializing in both Response and Resilience and extensive work in Prevention and Protection. Stephen Adams, Chief Executive – BAFE, commented: “The BAFE Board brings together a very wide range of experience of the fire protection industry and related skills. Lewis’s experience and knowledge w...

A primary school in the Highlands was evacuated after a fire broke out inside the building. All children and staff at Park Primary in Invergordon were safe, Highland Council said. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said the blaze was ‘well-developed’ and ‘large’ when seven SFRS appliances and a high reach appliance were at the scene and firefighters were ‘working to extinguish the flames’. High-Reach appliance At its height, there were more than 50...

Around five years ago, BAFE representatives went to see two Scottish Government civil servants to discuss fire safety and in particular Fire Risk Assessments. The responsibility for Tony Maskens, then BAFE Technical Schemes Manager, and Euan Robson, Governmental Adviser - Caledonia Public Affairs, was to explain that Fire Risk Assessors should be professionally qualified and certificated and at present there is no requirement for them to be so. When The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 was published it...