South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service News

BAFSA has applauded Cheshire Fire Authority’s recent investment of £36,000 in sprinklers to help protect a newly renovated block of flats in Warrington, United Kingdom (UK). To date, Cheshire Fire Authority has invested over £200,000 in retrofitting sprinklers in high-rise blocks across the county and this most recent project is the 18th building they have helped protect from fire. Sprinkler retrofit work at Kingsway House The installation of the sprinkler system in the buil...

There are just over two weeks left for people to have their say on draft plans published by South Yorkshire’s fire service–including proposals for how quickly it should respond to different types of emergencies.  South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue says it will still aim to attend every single 999 call as quickly as it possibly can, but that having a set of published response times will make it more accountable to local people, help it to improve its service and bring them in lin...

Young people across South Yorkshire are being given the opportunity to change their lives thanks to the county’s police and fire services. South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue will once again be teaming up to deliver the ‘life-changing’ Prince’s Trust Team Program course later this month (September 2023) and will also run in January and March next year. Range of life skills This is a course for people who are between 16 and 25 years old and not...

Dräger, an international provider in the fields of medical and safety technology, celebrated its partnership with women in the fire service UK last week, reinforcing its commitment to equality of opportunity, improved representation of women in the industry, and how Dräger is designing equipment fit to meet the challenges of an increasingly diverse workforce in the fire service. Hosted at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, 46 delegates across 16 Fire and Rescue Services, Hazardo...

Calls for building owners to speed up fire safety remediation work have been backed by the county’s fire service. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue supports a joint statement from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and regulatory bodies which warns building owners that they need to get on with remediation work or face enforcement action. Making buildings safe The DLUHC statement - issued jointly by the government, Building Safety Regulator, the Local Government Ass...

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue is celebrating after raising more than £1,400 from the Big SYFR Swim – smashing the £1,000 target. Staff from across the organization swam the equivalent of the perimeter of South Yorkshire (170 miles) to raise money for two incredible causes – The Fire Fighters Charity and The Royal Life Saving Society. Two fantastic charities From frontline firefighters to corporate staff, each pledged to swim anything from 100 meters to several mile...

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, which require a confirmed fire before they send fire applianc...

Staff from South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue will be swapping fire helmets for swimming caps next week, as they prepare to swim the equivalent of the perimeter of South Yorkshire (170 miles) to raise money for two incredible causes – The Fire Fighters Charity and The Royal Life Saving Society. Big SYFR Swim Challenge People from across the organization, from frontline firefighters to corporate staff, have pledged that they will swim anything from 100 meters to several miles to support th...

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service's Chief Fire Officer has responded to the report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) on values and culture in the fire service nationally. HMICFRS report Chief Fire Officer - Chris Kirby, said: “The HMICFRS report on values and culture makes difficult reading for anyone working in the fire and rescue service. It shouldn’t need saying- but there is absolutely no place for the negative...

A South Yorkshire recruitment campaign aims to change perceptions of women in the fire service. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s ‘A Firefighter Is A Firefighter’ campaign includes a new hard-hitting video, which highlights the fact that all firefighters meet the same standards and do the same job regardless of their gender. Campaign to inspire women At the same time, the service will be publishing a fresh episode of its official podcast, Shout, featuring women from across...

Residents in Rossington, Stocksbridge, Askern, Penistone, Dearne, and Birley are being challenged to step up and join their local fire crew, as the county’s fire service launches another on-call firefighter recruitment drive. New vacancies have arisen at the stations in each of these areas with more staff needed to keep the fire engines’ wheels turning and respond to fires, floods, road traffic collisions, and other emergency incidents. Fire officers say there has never been a bette...

Firefighters across South Yorkshire are asking the county’s residents to not believe everything they read or hear when it comes to fire safety. The warning, issued by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, comes amidst a ‘cost of living’ crisis that has seen potentially dangerous money-saving ‘hacks’ being shared online. Fire crews have also attended a number of fires locally, over the winter period, which have been started through unsafe heating practices. The service...

A young person from Barnsley taking part in a fire service development scheme has been praised by paramedics for coming to the aid of an older person. Harry Prew arrived late for a session at Barnsley fire station, as part of South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s Prince’s Trust Team Program. It was only later that it was revealed he’d discovered an older man in a ditch. He called the emergency services-waiting with the man and made him comfortable, until the ambulance service ar...

The fire service’s governing Fire Authority has decided to increase its portion of Council Tax by £5 next year, at its budget setting meeting on Monday, 20 February. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue faces a multi-million-pound deficit in the coming years as a result of increased costs of goods, services, fuel, and energy-plus the impact of nationally negotiated wage increases for its staff. Fire Authority Members Householders in Band D currently pay £77.58 per year for thei...

The fire service’s governing Fire Authority will decide whether to increase its portion of Council Tax by £5 next year, at its budget setting meeting later this month. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue faces a multi-million-pound deficit in the coming years as a result of increased costs of goods, services, fuel, and energy - plus the impact of nationally negotiated wage increases for its staff. Fire and Rescue Authority Meeting Householders in Band D currently pay £77.58 pe...

South Yorkshire’s fire service says it has already taken significant steps to improve its service, following the publication of a national inspection report. The report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate for Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) identified several areas for improvement- as well as many areas of good practice. areas of good practice Inspectors said the service is ‘good’ at looking after its people, but needs to improve under the ‘effect...

The planned prohibition of the use of an apartment block in Sheffield is still expected to proceed as planned, due to serious fire safety concerns. prohibition notice Fire safety inspecting officers from South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue served a prohibition notice on Wicker Riverside on 5 December because previously identified issues with the building had not been resolved and interim measures which had been in place can no longer be considered interim. The notice comes into force on 31 Janu...

SYFRS is aware of the ongoing gas supply incident in parts of Stannington and Hillsborough. While agencies work together to resolve this issue, fire service staff will be visiting the area to provide safety advice to local people. Gas Supply Issue If users have lost gas supply, please: Be careful not to overload electrical sockets – SYFRS knows people may be using more electrical items to cook or heat their homes, but most extension leads and adapters can only take a maximum of 1...

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has responded to the Independent Cultural Review of the London Fire Brigade. Chief Fire Officer - Chris Kirby, said: “The report makes difficult reading for anyone working in the fire and rescue service. It shouldn’t need saying - but there is absolutely no place for the negative behavior and attitudes described in the report in any modern workplace, let alone the fire and rescue service." Independent Cultural Review of the London Fire Brigade Chr...

Firefighters across South Yorkshire are urging people to ‘save safely’ winter and, importantly, ensure they have working carbon monoxide and smoke alarms in their homes. The plea comes following recent incidents across the county where residents have burned inappropriate and potentially toxic materials to warm their homes, as opposed to using their usual method of heating. carbon monoxide poisoning One recent case saw an occupant overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning as a result o...

South Yorkshire’s police and fire services are urging people to be fire-safe and 999-wise around Halloween and Bonfire Night this autumn. This comes after the county’s firefighters saw an increase in call-outs on Bonfire Night last year, compared to previous ‘Dark Night’ periods. Crews were called to 96 incidents on Friday 5 November last year, compared to 80 on the same date in 2020–an increase of 20 percent. Many of these callouts involved bonfires that...

Rotherham’s world-famous firefighting TikTok stars are set to give the public a chance to peek behind the scenes at the fire station where they work. Firefighters on Rotherham Blue Watch have become famous around the globe after clocking up millions of views on the social network. Lifesaving work Now the firefighters behind the videos hope to give the public an insight into their important, lifesaving work by staging Rotherham Fire Station’s first open day in more than three years...

A proposal to rebuild the Elm Lane fire station is to be discussed by Fire Authority members. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue plans to replace the existing facility with a new building on the same site, in a construction project which could become a UK first. The new ‘modular’ fire station would be constructed off-site in a move that could save both time and money. Modular construction methods Refurbishing the existing facility has been ruled out, due to the high cost of re...

Many landlords across South Yorkshire are required to fit carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in their properties, following a change in the law. As of Saturday 1 October 2022, The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 require CO alarms to be installed in all rented accommodation and newly built properties where there is a fixed combustion appliance. This excludes gas cookers. New or replaced alarms Both private and social sector landlords will be required to provide the alarms...

Residents in Rossington, Stocksbridge, Askern, Penistone, and Dearne are being challenged to step up and join their local fire crews, as the county’s fire service launches another on-call firefighter recruitment drive. New vacancies have arisen at the stations in each of these four towns–with more staff needed to keep the fire engines’ wheels turning and respond to fires, floods, road traffic collisions, and other emergency incidents. Fire and rescue services Fire officers s...

Firefighters from across the country are joining SYFR’s weekly mental health walking group, Walk and Talk 999, in walking the Yorkshire Three Peaks. The Walk Providers, Jim Bright, Matt Winslow, and Nick Abbott, will be pioneering the trek on Saturday 10 September in support of World Suicide Prevention Day and to raise money for The Firefighters Charity and Calm Suicide Awareness Charity. They will be supported by firefighters from the London Fire Brigade and Norwich. Walk and Talk...

The combination of working smoke alarms and retro-fitted sprinklers has prevented a potentially fatal fire in a Doncaster flat. Firefighters were mobilized to Shaftesbury House, Doncaster, at 1.05 am on Thursday 25 August, following a call from a resident. This resident reports leaving their chip pan on the hob before falling asleep. While asleep, the chip pan overheated and set light. Working smoke alarms alerted the residents to the fire, prompting them to call 999 for help. At the...

Firefighters across South Yorkshire are urging members of the public to be extra careful over the coming days, following a new extreme heat warning from the Met Office. The national weather forecaster has also raised the fire severity risk level to ‘exceptional’ for some parts of the country–in addition to its four-day Amber weather warning. SYFR’s fire officers This has prompted South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s fire officers to issue another plea to the publi...

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service paid tribute to and passed on huge thanks to the firefighters, officers, and control room staff who dealt with an unprecedented surge in demand for the services recently. They also recognize the support teams from across the service, who helped with vehicle issues and logistics, delivering of supplies to incidents, and provided general support. Their professionalism, dedication, and commitment to serving the communities were exemplary, and proud of thei...

With a cost of living crisis currently sweeping across the country, South Yorkshire’s fire service has doubled down on its efforts to keep people safe. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue launching a new online home safety check service that allows residents to explore whether they are at particular risk of fire. This home safety assessment system will supplement the virtual home safety check service that fire officers launched last year. This means that hundreds of thousands of local...