Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service News

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service hosted a Virtual Reality (VR) workshop series at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service HQ. Staff from around the service took part in the demonstrations, to explore the potential for using the technology in training. VR applications The final session of the day was attended by other fire and rescue services from around the country including Tyne and Wear, South Yorkshire, and Shropshire, as well as members of the National Fire Chiefs Council. The t...

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...

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 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...

Eight fire crews from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service were sent to Granville Recycling Plant, located in Telford, United Kingdom and at the peak of the fire, there were 50 firefighters battling the blaze, which impacted the entire landfill site close to the A5. Fire at Granville Recycling Plant Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service Group Manager and Fire Service Officer, Adam Matthews said that the firefighters are now on the verge of winning the battle and the number of firefighters deployed...

Angloco have initiated a partnership with Hytrans Systems for their high volume pumps, which are built in the Netherlands. Their agreement is to supply and install new pumps and equipment and to support existing high volume pumps already installed all over the United Kingdom. Hytrans High Volume Pumps The National Resilience is one of the major users of Hytrans high volume pumps and they have been successfully deployed and used in the recent floods. They have already supplied Hytrans’ pu...

Rod Hammerton steps up to replace John Redmond who took over as Chief Fire Officer at SFRS in the summer The new Deputy Chief Fire Officer of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service has been appointed by Shropshire and Wrekin Fire and Rescue Authority.  Rod Hammerton, the former Assistant Chief Fire Officer for South Wales, steps up to replace John Redmond, who took over as Chief Fire Officer at Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service in the Summer.  After a short career in...

Shropshire firefighter Sally raised £2,200 for the charity which got her back on her feet after breaking her back in a horseriding accident A firefighter who feared she would never walk again after breaking her back in an accident has raised £2,200 for the charity which got her back on her feet. Sally Barnett (42) also did it in style with a sponsored weekly walk up The Wrekin, a Shropshire landmark rising to 1,335ft, for a whole year including Christmas Day and N...

Interested applicants learned how they could join the country’s 300 plus “on call” fully trained firefighters More Shropshire women interested in becoming firefighters attended an introductory session at Shrewsbury fire HQ.  A total of 19 turned out for the third "taster" session over the weekend following on from similar events in Craven Arms and Oswestry earlier this year. They learned how they could join the county’s 300 plus “on call&rdqu...

Emergency services link with volunteers to educate year 6 pupils with real life scenarios to teach them about personal safety Children are learning about fire safety with Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service during Child Safety Week. Fire crews from across the county are educating youngsters about the dangers from fire at a series of events. They include playgroup visits to Bridgnorth fire station, Whitchurch firefighters at a supermarket, the brigade's Outreach education...

Catherine Evans and Angela Flowers from Neen Savage WI have been spreading the smoke alarm message Shropshire WI members have been praised for carrying out "vital" fire prevention work in rural parts of the county in partnership with Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service. They are out and about in their local communities checking for anyone who does not have a working smoke alarm in their home - a potential lifesaver in a house fire. A total of 20 Women's Institute groups in th...

During their visit the VIPs toured the control room and visited the emergency vehicle workshops Shropshire's Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff had an elevated view in an Aerial Ladder Platform as part of a tour of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service. The two dignitaries were visiting Shrewsbury fire HQ which re-opened two years ago after a major renovation to overhaul the existing 1970's dilapidated buildings. Assistant Chief Fire Officer Andy Johnson said: "This has been a go...

Station Manager Neil Groves with 12 women who attended the firefighter "taster" session Women who want to be firefighters turned out for a "taster" session at a Shropshire fire station. More than a dozen women learned how they could join the county's 300 plus "on call" fully trained firefighters who deal with around the clock emergencies. More "on call" fire crew, who live or work within five minutes of 22 county fire stations, are needed to turn out for a set number of hou...

Shropshire firefighters held the farmer's body steadily along with doctor and ambulance crew Shropshire firefighters were faced with an extraordinary rescue operation when a farmer accidentally impaled himself onto a 45 centimetre long tractor fork. The 40 millimetre thick spike had gone straight through the right side of Graham Heatley's lower back, across his abdomen and was sticking out of the left side of his stomach. He had been removing black plastic from a three-quart...

Shropshire helps protect a sewage treatment centre and power station to ensure they were not flooded Shropshire firefighters have been heavily involved as part of the UK's national resilience force battling the worst floods to hit the country for many years. On call fire crews from across the county left their work and families at short notice to be part of the largest mobilisation of the UK's fire and rescue services since the Second World War. They have been working day an...

Children from St Lawrence's Primary School with firefighter Wayne Castree Primary schoolchildren in Shropshire are proud of their school caretaker Wayne Castree - part of Church Stretton's firefighting community. Wayne is one of 12 "on call" firefighters stationed at Church Stretton Fire Station who respond to 999 calls at all times of the day and night. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service is also proud of county employers' such as St Lawrence CE Primary School head Dick Lang...

Firefighters and staff from across the county collected the cash in a variety of events including car washes A record £30,000 has been raised by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service over the past year in aid of the Fire Fighters Charity - most of it through washing cars. Firefighters and staff from across the county collected the cash in a variety of events including car washes, and through donations and legacies. They celebrated after receiving a Certificate of Apprecia...

The project is the first of its kind involving Shropshire Council homes A pilot partnership project between Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and Shropshire Council aims to improve the safety of council tenants by carrying out home visits for the over 75's in a historic market town and the surrounding rural area. The project is the first of its kind involving Shropshire Council homes and if successful could be rolled out to tenants of other Registered Social Landlords in the...

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service promotes the installation of  smoke alarms in every home A Shropshire pensioner has rued the day she didn’t have a smoke alarm fitted in her century old family home after it was seriously damaged by fire. Retired schoolteacher Margaret Leverett (63) surveyed the black and smoke damaged house where she was born and has lived all her life and said: “Getting a smoke alarm was on my list but I just never got around to it. I...

The firefighters have joined a total of 12 county fire stations A total of 18 new recruits working in a wide array of jobs ranging from a care worker to a carpenter, and a ladies hockey player to a hospital practitioner, have ‘passed out’ as firefighters with Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service. All retained firefighters, they have joined a total of 12 county fire stations. Chief Fire Officer Paul Raymond and Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority chairman Stuart We...

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service saves lives in the most extreme fires, thanks to its team of brave firefighters Shropshire firefighters were back on national TV when two more of their fire and rescue actions were re-told on the popular BBC Real Rescues programme.Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service is pictured on the montage of images at the start of the high action TV show which features dramatic film footage and interviews of events attended by emergency services.Ex Shropsh...

John Redmond, firefighter Steve Taylor, Rowan Ellson Arias, Rose Burton, Owen Crook and Libby Pawson Shropshire children who look after members of their family learned all about fire safety and first aid with the help of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.A total of 31 youngsters aged from seven to 16, who are members of the Shropshire Young Carers Service, witnessed a chip pan fire and learned about the importance of every home having smoke alarms and testing them regularly.T...

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service organised a large-scale chemical leak training exercise at Grocontinental Grocontinental’s compound in Whitchurch Business Park – one of the largest freezer stores in Europe and a major Shropshire employer was the venue for the chemical leak training exercise.Firefighters donned special airtight chemical protection suits to tackle a reported ammonia leak during a large scale training exercise at a major food storage and distri...

The video on bin fires has raised awareness of the catastrophic effects of bin fires and their aftermaths Residents are urged, if possible, to site their wheelie bin away from property and only put it out in the street just before the arrival of the bin collectors.The public has been urged to take action to stop their household bin from going up in flames and putting their home at risk from fire in an important safety message from Shropshire firefighters. A short film clip re-...

Shropshire's Deputy Chief Fire Officer John Redmond hands over fire appliances to a Bulgarian fire official Shropshire brigade transported two fire engines, two Ranger vehicles, a minibus, cutting equipment and fire kit hundreds of miles across eastern Europe. UK fire brigades have come to the rescue of European firefighting colleagues with the delivery of much needed vehicles, equipment and uniforms in a co-ordinated mission organised by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Servi...

Deputy Chief Fire Officer John Redmond and Beacon Radio copywriter Simon English with the award  Radio advert made for the Community Fire Safety Department, broadcasted across Shropshire, has won a top award. A "chilling" radio advert made for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service to get out a vital fire safety message about the dangers of cooking late at night after drinking too much alcohol has gained international recognition. The Beacon Radio advert made for the Commun...

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service firefighters being trained to rescue a dummy body Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service has 22 fire stations in mainly rural areas of the county run by retained firefighters. Shropshire firefighters donned chemical protection suits to tackle a reported ammonia leak during a planned training exercise at a county food production plant. Uniq Desserts at Minsterley, a major county employer which has three retained firefighters on its staff, volunt...

Chief Fire Officer Paul Raymond has welcomed additional savings due to good safety record and management Shropshire has one of the smallest and most poorly funded fire and rescue services, despite this it has come out as one of the best performing brigades in the UK. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service has made a further £100,000 savings in reduced insurance costs because of its excellent safety record and good management practices, it has been revealed. The cost of pu...

Left to right, Firefighting brothers Craig and Glenn Willis with their sons Adams and (below) Connor There exists a family having all the brothers as firefighters in Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service. A family firefighting tradition continued at Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service with the “passing out” of new recruits from Shrewsbury and north Shropshire. Among the latest batch of new firefighters were 20-year-old cousins Adam and Connor Willis, wh...

Senior fire officer John Das Gupta ofShropshire Fire and Rescue Service  Court ordered hotel manager to pay £5,355 fines in the first court case brought by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service after the failure of fire alarms. Magistrates have ordered a hotel manager to pay fines and costs totalling £5,355 in the first court case of its kind brought by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service after the fire alarm failed to go off in the premises. Nine...