Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service News

Four firefighters from Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service are set and raring to go by breaking three grueling world records when they take part in the Ipswich Half Marathon. Crew Manager Paul Shattock, and Firefighters Grant Whitehead, Ashley Buxton, and George Trott will be running the 13.1 miles on September 22 in firefighting equipment. Paul Shattock Paul is a Crew Manager at Bury St Edmunds fire station and Grant, Ashley, and George are all based at Ipswich East station. They aim to raise &p...

A Suffolk fire station is to celebrate its 70th anniversary with a family fun day and a fundraising ball in aid of the Fire Fighters Charity. Classic fire vehicles, demonstrations, a miniature railway, and face painting will be among the attractions at Clare Castle Country Park to mark the opening of the town’s fire station in 1954. Clare Fireball The fun day will be followed in the evening with the Clare Fireball at Clare Town Hall, which will feature live music and a fire fancy dress...

Aldeburgh Fire Station and Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service are inviting people to get on their bikes and set off on 2024's Suffolk Fire Ride. The annual event is a popular fundraiser for the Fire Fighters Charity, which helps past and present fire and rescue service personnel and their families. Suffolk Fire Ride The event is on Sunday, July 7, 2024, and is being hosted by Aldeburgh station, from where two routes will start and finish via the beautiful countryside and the iconic coastline of...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service plans to increase its share of council tax by 2.99% from April 2024. For a Band D property, this is an annual increase of £2.34, totaling £82.26 per year or £1.58 a week. fire and rescue service Chair of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority Chair Councilor Edna Murphy continued: “We know the cost of living crisis is still impacting many local families and we don’t make decisions lightly to increase our proporti...

Heavy downpours on Friday (20) caused by Storm Babet saw Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service’s (CFRS) Combined Fire Control to see their busiest 24 hours on record. The Service’s Combined Fire Control Room is a joint control room with Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service–responding to 999 calls from both counties. Over 1500 calls were received in a 24-hour period-exceeding that of the summer heatwave fires of July 2022. Flood alerts issued While Cambridgeshire saw flood alerts...

A new fire control center fitted with state-of-the-art communications for mobilizing and managing Suffolk’s firefighters would be in the best interests of the county, a report to councilors says. Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) announced in June it would be withdrawing from the shared control room arrangement in place since 2011 with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire and Rescue Service, based in Huntingdon. replacing mobilizing technology The report recommending approval to Su...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service and its Fire Authority councilors have been left surprised and concerned after being given notice that Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service is withdrawing from its highly successful Combined Control collaboration at the end of 2024. The Combined Control operates from Cambridgeshire’s headquarters in Huntingdon and was the first merger of fire control centers in the country. With 12 years of successful joint working, it has saved the public purse £ 1...

The fire risks associated with multi-occupied residential buildings remain high on the sector’s agenda, and the latest wave of fire safety reforms can help address key concerns, says Karen Trigg of Allegion UK. raising fire safety standards In recent years, high-rise and high-risk building environments have been the subject of much industry focus.  Where Grenfell was a catalyst for change, the incremental introduction of new reforms (such as the Fire Safety Act 2021 and Build...

The sudden evacuation – where residents left their flats at 10 o’clock in the evening – came after a new report was received by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), which detailed a number of fire safety concerns on the upper floors of the Cardinal Lofts block of flats that make it “currently unsafe for occupation”. As a result, SFRS issued a Prohibition Notice for part of the building – affecting only 15 apartments in total – with no impact o...

Mallard Enterprises Ltd was ordered to pay £120,000 after risking lives by failing to comply with a Prohibition Notice issued by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service. The company owns and manages Worlingham Hall, a popular Grade I listed wedding and events venue, which is also used for holiday lets. As such, it is subject to fire regulations, but admitted to three recorded breaches of notices issued by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) in 2021. Fire safety offenses This included the bla...

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service is proud to lend its support to Business Safety Week to help keep customers in the county safe from fire risks. The annual campaign, organized by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), runs from 5 - 11 September and aims to make businesses aware of their fire safety responsibilities and provide employees with the information they need to help prevent and respond to fires at work. Measures to reduce fire risk  Many fires in the workplace will have devast...

Cambridgeshire fire crews have continued to face challenging conditions and increased demand as the summer heatwave persists. Having already seen unprecedented temperatures and calls to incidents in July 2022, which include the two busiest days ever for the fire service, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service staff have continued to face record levels of calls and incidents. Busy July month for Cambridgeshire fire crews Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Area Commander, Stuart Smi...

Suffolk residents can show their support for firefighters past and present by signing up to the 2022 Fire Ride cycling challenge, which is taking place on Sunday, July 10, 2022. The event is in its 9th year, having been started by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service in 2013, in aid of The Fire Fighters Charity, with a minimum of £ 17 from each entrance fee – which is £ 20 in advance or £ 30 on the day – going directly to the charity, in order to enable them to continue...

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service is supporting National Sprinkler Week, helping to raise awareness of how sprinkler systems can protect people, property, and firefighters. The campaign, established by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), has begun and will run until Sunday 22 May, with fire services across the country taking part. Calls are also being made by the NFCC for government to remedy building regulations in relation to sprinklers, which currently differ across the UK. The NFCC are p...

Following the unprecedented year prior, 2021 continued to present significant challenges for everyone, but Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service continued to deliver its vital services, while also providing support for partner agencies. The year began with mopping up from significant flooding across the county over the Christmas period. The country was also in the midst of another national lockdown, with those that were able to still working from their homes. Staff across the Service pulled o...

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...

Trends, such as social distancing and breakdowns in group interactions are changing the emergency response needs in Suffolk County, New York, and other communities around the world. In the new normal, there are also fewer opportunities to identify someone, who might need mental health services or be in crisis. Residents are more likely to push aside signs of anxiety and depression, until they become more severe. Suffolk County affected by COVID-19 Suffolk County was an epicenter of the COVID-1...

Emergency call handlers are celebrating a decade since the country’s first combined fire control launched. On October 25, 2011, the 999 call functions for Cambridgeshire and Suffolk fire and rescue services joined together to form the first collaboration of its kind. Today marks the tenth anniversary of the combined control room taking calls for both counties. fire service By joining forces, this collaboration has saved each ...

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...

A firefighter has teamed up with MSA Safety and Rosenbauer to create and release a series of handcrafted miniature helmet gifts exclusively for The Fire Fighters Charity, to raise funds to support its vital services. Adam Tubby, a whole time and retained firefighter with Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, wanted to create a lasting memento for firefighters like himself once they retire from the service – by recreating their most vital piece of equipment. The miniature replica helmets &ndas...

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have been recognized nationally for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, SFRS was praised for its positive contributions to the local community and commitment to the welfare of its staff. In August 2020, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) was commissioned by the UK Home Secretary to examine how fire and rescue services are responding to the pandemic. Effective command and control frameworks...

Area Commander - Chris Parker said, “While many residents were enjoying the festive period, our crews, officers, and emergency call handlers were hard at work helping those impacted by the flooding seen across the county." He adds, “Working with our partners from the Environment Agency, Cambridgeshire Constabulary, and local authorities, crews were out pumping water out of properties, assisting with travel to rest centers, and helping build flood defenses. Crews also assisted people...

Suffolk FRS was mobilized to a commercial Kitchen fire in a unit contained within a multi-occupied Shopping Centre. The BS EN 12845 sprinkler system operated via 1 quick response sprinkler head which not only suppressed but extinguished the fire prior to the arrival of operational crews. Fire/smoke damage was contained to the room of origin, operational crews assisted with salvage and worked extremely hard/well with center staff. The unit of origin was planning to reopen in the afternoon with a...

East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) and Her Majesty’s Coastguard are trialing an initiative that aims to improve response times to search and rescue missions on the northeast Suffolk coast. One of HM Coastguard’s six response vehicles in Suffolk has been based at Saxmundham Ambulance Station since the summer and the new location is expected to significantly cut response times to incidents on the coast. This co-location will also improve joint working between HM Coastgua...

Firefighters in Suffolk are joining forces with blue light colleagues at the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) to help provide life-saving frontline care during the coronavirus pandemic. Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has volunteered and trained about 30 firefighters to work alongside paramedics to respond to 999 calls over the coming weeks. The firefighters are already blue light trained and will drive frontline emergency NHS ambulances, in turn freeing up paramedics to care for patie...

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has undergone its most comprehensive, independent inspection in many years and has been rated as “Good” for its effectiveness, efficiency and how well it leads and manages its staff. The findings come from a report published on Tuesday, 17 December 2019 by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), who inspected Suffolk’s service earlier this year. Inspectors reviewed every aspect of the service, f...

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service is looking for new whole-time firefighters as it opens its doors to all members of the community from early December 2019. The opportunity to become a whole-time firefighter only comes around every few years and candidates are encouraged to submit their applications sooner rather than later. The six-week window may close early if the Service receives a high volume of applications. Responding To Emergency Calls We want men and women from many backgrounds and wit...

Firefighters, non-operational staff and volunteers from Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service have been recognized for their bravery and commitment at the Service’s annual awards, held at Ipswich East Fire Station. A special award was also presented to 15-year old, Harry Hall. He came to the aid of a friend who had lost control of their bike and fallen over the sea wall in Lowestoft. Despite the immediate dangers, Harry jumped down to his friend and kept their head above the rising sea water un...

Tim Passmore, Police and Crime Commissioner and Suffolk County Councillor Richard Rout, formally opened the new shared Police/Fire station in Beccles (Friday 30 August 2019), along with Chief Constable Steve Jupp and Deputy Chief Fire Officer Dan Fearn. This is the eleventh shared community Fire and Police facility in Suffolk with stations already operating in Leiston, Newmarket, Saxmundham, Felixstowe, Woodbridge, Ixworth, Elmswell, Debenham, Framlingham and Clare. There are also plans for fur...

Bars, restaurants and businesses along Ipswich’s Waterfront have attended awareness training in the event of anyone falling into water. As part of Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service prevention work, these waterside businesses have been supplied with a safety throw line to keep at their premises. This is a small bag containing a floating line which can be deployed very quickly and easily in the event of someone falling into the water around the marina. Helping To Reduce Risk Staff were give...