Essex County Fire & Rescue Service - Experts & Thought Leaders

Both Braintree and Witham Fire Stations will be hosting recruitment taster sessions this month for those considering joining their team of on-call firefighters. Witham Fire Station will host its session on Saturday, 25 November, 2024, while Braintree Fire Station will hold its event on Sunday, 3 December, 2024. These sessions provide a unique opportunity to learn more about this vital role in the local community. Recruitment taster sessions During the taster sessions, attendees will meet with on-call firefighters who live or work within five minutes of their station. Attendees get to see first-hand what the job entails through live demonstrations Attendees get to see first-hand what the job entails through live demonstrations and equipment showcases, providing insight into the diverse and challenging responsibilities of an on-call firefighter in Essex. Watch Manager - Andy Mott from Witham Fire Station said: “Our station is fully crewed by on-call firefighters who respond to calls in their community whenever they’re needed, whether they’re at work or at home. When the pager goes off, we answer - it could be a fire, an animal rescue or a chemical incident. In 2023 alone, we attended 429 incidents, and this year, we’ve already responded to over 285 calls.” Criteria for prospective on-call firefighters In Braintree, the fire station currently has 12 on-call firefighters and is looking to expand its crew. For those who are over 18 years of age, physically fit, and live or work within five minutes of either Witham or Braintree Fire Station, they could be paid to serve the community as an on-call firefighter. To book a place at either event, book through the links below: Witham Fire Station, 25 November, 6.30pm - 9.30pm: withamfire.eventbrite.co.uk Braintree Fire Station, 3 December, 6pm - 9pm: braintreefire.eventbrite.co.uk

Orsett Fire Station has re-opened its doors after renovations and improvement work. On Friday 12 July, colleagues across Essex County Fire and Rescue Service joined firefighters from Orsett for a small station re-opening ceremony. Chief Fire Officer / Chief Executive Rick Hylton and Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Jane Gardner gave speeches and thanked everyone involved in the project, particularly Orsett's crews who have been relocated at Grays Fire Station. renovation and improvement Rick Hylton said, “I am delighted to welcome Orsett's crew back to their station. They have been responding effectively from Grays Fire Station while refurbishment work took place. We have used the closure as an opportunity to carry out renovation and improvement work throughout the station." "I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who has been involved in the work to get the station back. The crew is happy to be back in their station now.” station upgrade The station closed on 13 July 2023 following a fire in the bay. As part of the renovation work, the station has been upgraded to include more inclusive spaces, new training rooms, and newly wrapped bay doors. Firefighter Tony Cassar was the special guest at the event. He performed a ceremonial opening of the bay doors and joined the crew in the appliance as it left the station to a round of applause.

Two on-call firefighters from Tiptree Fire Station have been awarded Chief Fire Officer Commendations for their exemplary actions after they saved a man's life. Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive Officer Rick Hylton presented Crew Manager Glenn Lambard and Firefighter Woody Whymark with their awards at Tiptree Fire Station on Monday 8 July, with crew members and family members celebrating their achievements. First aid help In the summer of 2023, Woody was a passenger in his friend’s car driving past Stores Lane in Tiptree when he noticed a man on the ground needing first aid. He asked his friend to pull over and see what was happening. Woody said, “On stopping and offering to assist, I quickly established from witnesses the man had been stabbed multiple times. I instantly helped as much as I could.” medical emergency Woody called for assistance from his colleague, Glenn due to his role as a Senior Emergency Medical Technician Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Woody called for assistance from his colleague, Glenn, who is heavily involved in Trauma Training at the fire station, due to his role as a Senior Emergency Medical Technician (working on a frontline ambulance) with the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST). Glenn described his swift response, “Once I got the call from Woody explaining to me the medical emergency, I immediately stopped what I was doing, grabbed some first aid supplies from home, and responded to assist as quickly as I could to help the casualty." courage and professionalism Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive Rick Hylton commended their response to the incident, "Glenn and Woody’s actions, and those of the other first responders from EEAST, along with the assistance of the Air Ambulance, meant that the man survived." “They both displayed acts of courage and professionalism in responding to the unexpected scenario that unfolded that day, helping to save a life in their community.” Following the incident, the Tiptree crews have been working closely with anti-knife crime campaigner, Julie Taylor, from the Liam Taylor Legacy. public access bleed kits Julie was a guest of honor at Tiptree Fire Station on 8 July, where the crews presented her with a cheque of £100 Julie lost her grandson, Liam,19, in 2020, after he was tragically stabbed to death outside a Writtle pub. Julie has been tirelessly fundraising and has provided hundreds of public access bleed kits to locations across Essex and beyond. Julie was a guest of honor at Tiptree Fire Station on 8 July, where the crews presented her with a cheque of £100 - funds raised during Tiptree Fire Station’s open day in 2023. The money will be used to pay for an emergency bleed kit to be placed in the local community.  on-site kits Tiptree Fire Station already has a bleed kit kept on site. The Service’s FireCar also has one onboard. FireCar is an Audi S3 performance car generously donated by Group 1 Audi. This valuable partnership allows the road safety team to engage with the target audience which primarily (although not necessarily exclusively) is young 17 - 25-year-old performance car (‘cruiser car’) enthusiasts, who are amongst the highest-risk road user groups.

When a shortage of truck drivers resulted in empty motor fuel pumps in the United Kingdom, long queues formed and many motorists began panic buying. The situation induced motorists to hoard fuel, a practice that brings with it a long list of fire risks. Many fire departments in the United Kingdom provided stern warnings of the dangers. Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service advised anyone looking to store petrol at home to follow correct storage protocols. Hoarding additional quantities North Yorkshire fire chiefs reminded motorists that petrol and other fuels give off vapors that are highly flammable. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service urged motorists not to panic-buy fuel following a weekend of long queues at the pumps. Panicked motorists, concerned that the fuel supply will dry up completely Hoarding of fuel was also a factor earlier this year when a ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline in the United States slowed gasoline supply and resulted in long lines at fuel stations throughout the South and along the East Coast. Panicked motorists, concerned that the fuel supply will dry up completely, tend to hoard additional quantities of fuel as a precaution against running out. Ironically, an increase in hoarding is often the major cause of a shortage because demand exceeds the usual consumption level. Completely safer way Gasoline (petrol) should always be stored in a suitable container, such as a ‘safety can,’ away from any heat source, and in a place with direct access to ventilation and open air. Heat can cause excessive pressure and the release of vapors if fuel is stored improperly. In unventilated locations, the vapors may travel to an ignition source. Vaporization of less than one-half pint of fuel is enough to fill a home garage with explosive vapors. The fact is, despite any precautions, there is no completely safe way for consumers to store or hoard gasoline. It’s a dire truth for the woman in the United Kingdom who was recently seen filling up eight large jerry cans with fuel totaling £217 (almost $300). Tragic consequences in the past are a reminder of what is at stake. Plastic trash container There are limits to how much fuel can be stored in various jurisdictions Seven members of a California family were badly burned when they tried to store fuel in a plastic trash container in a bedroom closet. Additional dangers include the possibility of gasoline poisoning, often from siphoning, and inhalation of gasoline into the lungs. Inhaling even a small amount can cause death from chemical pneumonia. There are limits to how much fuel can be stored in various jurisdictions. In the United Kingdom, storage of up to 30 liters of petrol is permitted at home or at non-workplace premises. Larger amounts require notifying the local Petroleum Enforcement Authority (PEA). In the United States, storage of more than 5 gallons of gasoline is illegal in many areas. Rear-End collision Storage of extra fuel in the trunk, or boot, of a car, creates a risk of explosion if ignited by a spark or a rear-end collision. Dispensing fuel only into appropriate containers is also an issue. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Administration has warned consumers not to use plastic bags to collect gasoline. Several social media posts during the recent U.S. shortage showed people dispensing gasoline into plastic bags. Here are some additional precautions when storing motor fuel: Do not store fuel in living areas. Keep fuel out of reach of children. Do not fill containers beyond the designated capacity. Never pour fuel into drains or water.