Fire Industry News for January 2024

West Yorkshire Fire Service’s Technical Rescue Officer received an unusual call-out, after sheep grazing in a field behind a row of terraced cottages leaped over a 5ft gap and onto the tiled roof. Arriving in Newmillerdam, near Wakefield where the sheep had been stuck for several hours, before the Fire Service was alerted, Station Commander - Damian Cameron found one of the animals precariously close to a 25ft drop to the ground. sheep safety Then after one sheep leaped, a number of the...

Staff at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service joined fire services around the country and the world, as they gathered to observe International Firefighters Day. A minute’s silence was held at midday as fire service colleagues stood together in recognition of the commitment made by firefighters to keep their communities and local environments as safe as possible. role of firefighters Deputy Chief Firefighter - Dave Walton said, “International Firefighters Memorial Day is a day to...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service welcomed 11 new firefighters on Wednesday 13 April following the organisation’s latest pass-out ceremony at the Birkenshaw headquarters. The ceremony was held following a 14-week intensive firefighter trainee course which teaches skills including rescuing casualties, using firefighting equipment, and working as a team. firefighter trainee course On completion of the course, the graduates become part of a service that serves a population of more tha...

Four firefighters from Castleford Fire Station will retire this year, leaving behind a total of 98 years of combined service. All four of the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Castleford White Watch team say they will miss the comradery of their firefighting 'family'. diverse range of experiences After working at Royal Mail, Gavin Hampson moved to Leeds from Norwich to join the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2000. He retired in March after 22 years. When you’re together...

Crews from Cleckheaton Fire Station are enduring a 48-hour physical challenge to raise money for children who need cancer treatment. Staff at the station were moved by the stories of local girls Beau, five, from Liversedge, and Eden, seven, from Holmfirth, whose families have been raising funds to enable them to undergo costly treatment in the USA for neuroblastoma, a form of childhood cancer. David Goggins Challenge The grueling David Goggins Challenge, named after the American ex-Navy seal...

Residents of West Yorkshire have ten weeks to have their say on the future of the region’s fire service, following the launch of a public consultation. The West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service CRMP (Community Risk Management Plan) consultation will close on 6 June. Called the Fire and Rescue Service 2022-25, the CRMP will detail how West Yorkshire will manage and reduce fire-related risks and other emergencies to protect its communities over the next three years. Eight priority...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has worked with partners, including Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and the National Trust in a day of action focused around wildfire training. With the warm weather forecast this weekend crews and rangers teamed up on moorland near Slaithwaite to test new equipment, swap best practices, and formulate techniques should a moorland fire occur this year. Moorland firefighting equipment We can share techniques and get to grips with the latest stat...

A group of young people has raised funds to renovate a charity community center by selling items made from reclaimed firefighting equipment. The 11 Prince’s Trust students raised more than £500 by making and selling keyrings, coasters, and plant holders from recycled hose parts. They then used the money to renovate The Salvation Army’s community center and shop in Batley, West Yorkshire, as part of their 12-week personal development program with West Yorkshire Fire a...

Over the last two weeks, staff at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service have followed the upsetting and troubling news coming out of Eastern Europe. Everyone is thinking about the people of Ukraine, and other parts of the world affected by war and conflict. good wishes WYFRS feels a particular bond and affinity with fellow firefighters who are doing an already dangerous job in the most extraordinary of circumstances and sends good wishes for their continued safety, hoping they all return to...

Josephine Reynolds, the first female firefighter in the UK, gave a presentation to the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service as the organization celebrated International Women’s Day. Jo shared her inspirational true story, of how a determined young woman in 1982 applied for the local fire service and unwittingly became a media star. The author of the book, Fire Woman, Jo discussed how she dealt with constant judgment and pressure to succeed. Challenges faced “When...

Fire crews and groups including the South Pennines Fire Operation Group are warning that lighting BBQs or any moorland fires can incur a prison sentence, as well as destroy precious countryside. BBQ lit fires The caution comes after West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service crews tackled three potentially devastating fires on Marsden Moor over the weekend. On Sunday 27 February 2022, crews from Slaithwaite attended a BBQ lit by a group in a campervan next to Moorland on Mount Road, Marsden, a BB...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority has approved a slight rise in its portion of Council Tax at a meeting. The rise will see a rise of 6p per week (on the 2021/22 charge) for Band A taxpayers, and 10p per week for a Band D taxpayer (on the 2021/22 charge). Despite the rise West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority remains the fourth lowest cost-per-head-of-population in the country. maintain and improve Chief Fire Officer - John Roberts said, “We welcome the decision by the Authorit...

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...

Crews at Illingworth Fire Station will hold a charity car wash on Sunday 6 February, in order to raise money for Ash Green School Community Fund.  Money raised will be matched by Halifax Bank and Barclays Bank, which are both supporting the fundraiser. community support Ash Green Primary School on Clough Lane in Mixenden, Halifax was damaged in a fire earlier recently. Illingworth White Watch was first on the scene to tackle the blaze followed by nine further crews and six specialist tea...

A team from West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service joined together with partners to help train new National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU) technicians last week. The multi-agency training exercise, held at the Fire Service College in Gloucestershire, was part of a training course for new Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) technicians, to increase response resilience in the event of an emergency. Urban Search and Rescue Team A group of 11 staff from West Yorkshire’s Urban Search and...

Residents of West Yorkshire are being urged to have their say and help shape the future of the region’s fire service. People who live in the county are asked to contribute to West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service’s Community Risk Management Plan for 2022-25, via a simple public survey released. Community Risk Management Plan “The needs of our community are at the forefront of everything we do, so as we look to update our current plan, it’s important to hear wha...

Ilkley Fire Station has gained two new on-call firefighters following the latest pass-out ceremony at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s HQ in Birkenshaw. Lewis Keirs Lewis Keirs, 19, whose father is also a firefighter with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, came to the service following a football scholarship with Guiseley AFC. Lewis Keirs said, “This feels like a dream, as I spent my childhood idolizing firefighters and fire engines watching my dad and his colleagues in their...

Body Worn Video (BWV) cameras are now being trialed by operational staff in the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. The pilot scheme has been brought in with the intent to covertly capture video and audio during duty. There are several volunteers within the service (including workers in the Fire Prevention team) who will be trialing the cameras.  BWV trial use Area Manager for Operations Support - Dave Teggart said, “There are several reasons we have decided to trial the u...

Most of the weekend’s fireworks festivities went off without incident, with the public attending many of the organized displays across West Yorkshire. Bonfire week Bonfire week is always one of the busiest of the year for fire crews and this year was no exception, with the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service control room receiving 1672 calls from 17.00 Thursday 4th November to 00.00 Sunday 7th November. The crews attended 374 incidents across the region. emergency response People f...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has issued three top safety tricks to help prevent unnecessary Halloween hazards. Top Halloween Safety Tips Working with West Yorkshire Police and other partners, the service is campaigning for people to be mindful about keeping themselves and others safe in the build-up to Sunday, October 31st. “We want everyone to have a happy Halloween this week, but we’re reminding people how easily fires can start at this fun time of year,” said We...

The Fire Fighters Charity has featured an interview with Sarah Goodall, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service's Crew Manager, in recognition of International Control Room Week.  Sarah's experience Sarah Goodall shares why she's so proud to work at WYFRS and some of her experiences over her 21 years of service.  “There is nothing more precious than life. Knowing you have contributed to that, is worth more than any words can describe,” says Sarah Goodall.

Yorkshire Firefighters, a new BBC Two series commissioned by BBC England, will light up viewers’ television screens in summer. This unique four-part series takes viewers onto the frontline with the men and women keeping their communities safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a rare chance to go behind the scenes with this inspirational band of West Yorkshire firefighters. real-life emergencies Filmed using the latest technology, viewers will be brought closer than ever before to...

An emergency services team on the frontline of keeping people safe during the pandemic has revealed the full breadth of its work, as it reflects on a year’s activity since the UK’s first lockdown. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and South Yorkshire Police’s joint community safety department has delivered education packages to more than 8,000 children, visited 2,500 high-risk vulnerable people and given guns and knives training to over 2,100 pupils. Top of the team’s e...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) and Yorkshire Water have created a video warning of the dangers of open water as part of the national Drowning Prevention Week, which runs between June 12 and 19. The video highlights some of the hidden dangers present within rivers, canals, reservoirs, and other types of watercourses. Drowning Prevention Week Drowning Prevention Week was created by the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) UK and the campaign is in its 7th year. Firefighters in West...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) has taken delivery of 32 new vehicles that will improve our emergency response and offer more flexibility in how the Service delivers fire prevention across the region. Toyota Hilux 4x4 vehicles The public will see the new Fire Service marked Toyota Hilux 4x4 vehicles out on the roads of West Yorkshire, as they are utilized to respond to emergencies alongside, not instead of, the usual fire engines we are all used to seeing. The new vehicles will...

The latest podcast from Fire Safety Matters featured an interview with Stephen Adams, Chief Executive of BAFE. Brian Sims, recently appointed Editor of FSM Magazine, discussed a multitude of subjects in the segment. This included BAFE’s Don’t Just Specify, Verify! Campaign stressing the importance of that checking your chosen contractor is appropriately Third Party Certificated. Stephen Adams also discussed the recent comments regarding fire risk assessments in the House of Com...

AXA is producing a series of guides to help businesses return to work. In the information published, they state - “With signs that we’re now past the peak of Coronavirus cases in the UK, there are indications that the current lockdown will gradually be relaxed.” AXA has produced back-to-business guidance for multiple sectors, including construction sites, construction subcontractors, sprinkler installations, and other areas currently relevant. policy conditions AXA comments...

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority (SYFRA) has appointed a new Deputy Chief Fire Officer. Chris Kirby was appointed following a selection process, which included a written application, leadership team presentation, interview by staff group and trade union representatives and panel interview with members of the Fire Authority. Barnsley-born Chris Kirby will join South Yorkshire later this spring from West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, which he first joined as a Firefighter in 199...

Finder and Defender took part in Intersec 2020, which is the world's renowned security, safety, and fire protection fair, held in Dubai, UAE, between 19 and 21 January, 2020. Organized for the 22nd time this year, the fair hosted 1,084 exhibitors from 56 countries and 33,872 industry visitors. Proudly displayed the products, to more than 1000 visitors from 56 different countries. The interest and feedback of the participants on the brand and products made them feel honored and proud. High-qu...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) is celebrating after receiving a resounding ‘good’ report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). The independent assessors visited WYFRS this summer as part of a national inspection program of all 45 fire and rescue services in England. effectiveness, efficiency The results of the tranche three of the inspections have been published, reporting on 15 more of the fire and rescue s...