Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service - Experts & Thought Leaders

Dräger is donating self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and helmets to the ‘Fire Angels’, two female firefighters who will be attempting seven marathons, in seven days, across seven continents – while wearing firefighter kit – as part of the ‘Great World Race’. The challenge is a part of their ongoing ambition to ‘change the narrative of what it means to be a girl’.  awareness for women’s issues The intrepid pair have already successfully skied across the Antarctic, pioneering a new route, in 52 days, 10 hours, and 30 minutes. After a short period of rest, the team realized the work they had done in fundraising and raising awareness for women’s issues was not over, “When we got back, I thought I’d never want to leave my home comforts again,” says Georgina Gilbert, of the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service and one half of the dynamic duo. “However, it didn’t take long before I started thinking about what else we could do to challenge gender stereotypes and help build women’s self-esteem and confidence.”  marathons planned The marathons are planned for seven days in November in Wolf’s Fang, Cape Town, Perth, Istanbul, Cartagena and Miami The marathons are planned for seven days in November, in the following sequence: Wolf’s Fang (Antarctica); Cape Town (South Africa); Perth (Australia); two in Istanbul (one in Asia and the second in Europe); Cartagena (South America); and Miami (North America).  Georgina adds that it was important to do the challenge in their firefighting kit, “We need more firefighting female role models to demonstrate what a rewarding career it can be for women. We could not miss the opportunity to visually showcase the female firefighter role across all seven continents.”  PSS® AirBoss SCBA Dräger is donating two PSS® AirBoss SCBA with Nano Compressed Air Cylinders as they offer best-in-class ergonomics and are incredibly light. The donated helmets will be from the HPS® SafeGuard range, which at just 1.25kg in its basic configuration, provides optimal protection with the highest levels of wearer comfort.   Liz Millward, Marketing Manager Emergency and Rescue Services Dräger says the Fire Angels are an inspiration, “We jumped at the chance to support two women proving themselves to be such extraordinary role models for current and would-be female firefighters, as well as women more generally,” she says.   designing for diversity Diversity is important, making sure that equipment is as comfortable as possible for all genders and ethnicities “Firefighters might not usually run marathons wearing firefighting equipment, but their roles do require them to wear them for long periods in high heat and stress environments.”  Liz says that designing for diversity is also important, making sure that equipment is as comfortable as possible for all genders and ethnicities: “This Great World Race challenge is an exciting opportunity to showcase the ergonomic benefits of AirBoss and SafeGuard,” she adds.  achievements and life experiences Fire Angel Rebecca Openshaw-Rowe, of the Mid and West Wales Fire Service, has previously rowed for Great Britain and competed in the Rugby World Cup and Six Nations for Wales. She says being a female has never limited her, “Both this challenge and the Antarctic one are predominantly completed by men., it was extremely difficult to find insurance for a woman to do the Antarctic challenge,” she says.  “However, women are built for endurance and indeed pain, and I am passionate about being a good example for other women and girls and hope my achievements and life experiences will show there are no boundaries.” The Fire Angels will base themselves on Dräger’s stand for September’s ESS show.

Over 50 countries came together for the first-ever World Fire Congress in Washington DC last week. Hosted by the United States (US), the Congress (7th–8th May, 2024) was aimed at increasing international collaboration on the growing challenges faced by fire and rescue services across the globe. The two-day event also saw nations signing the World Fire Congress Charter, indicating their continued commitment to work together to tackle pressing fire-related issues. At the close of the event, the US handed over the reins to the United Kingdom, with NFCC taking responsibility for organizing the next World Fire Congress in 2026. Representatives and fire professionals Day 1 saw delegates discussing structural fires - with a particular focus on tall buildings Government representatives and fire professionals from 54 countries – including UK delegates, Mark Hardingham (Chair, NFCC), Sarah Gawley (Director of Fire and Major Events, Home Office), and Roger Thomas (Chief Fire Officer, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service) - attended the Congress, which focused on four key themes.  Day 1 saw delegates discussing structural fires - with a particular focus on tall buildings - and the impacts of climate change, including wildfires and flooding. On day 2, the focus shifted to emerging energy technologies and, in particular, the risk posed by lithium-ion batteries and battery energy storage systems; followed by a session aimed at addressing firefighter health and wellbeing. Global footprint of work With most countries in attendance signing the World Fire Congress Charter, it was also agreed that the US would host online communities of practice for each of the four themes. This will see representatives meet each month to establish a global footprint of work, share experiences and learning, and connect research, training and development. It is expected that the Congress will rotate around different continents, with the UK hosting in 2026, followed by the United Arab Emirates in 2028. Impacts of adverse weather NFCC Chair, Mark Hardingham, said: "It was a huge honor to be in Washington to co-chair this historic event, which is the first of its kind. I want to express my gratitude to our US hosts for their hospitality and for putting on such a fantastic Congress." He adds, "The Congress stood as an important reminder that the UK FRS is not alone in the challenges it faces, whether that be fires in tall buildings or dealing with the worst impacts of adverse weather. I firmly believe that there’s a huge amount to be gained by sharing ideas and expertise with global partners and working collaboratively to find the necessary solutions."

Iwan Cray, current Assistant Chief Fire Officer, has been confirmed as the new Deputy Chief Fire Officer of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. Following the announced retirement of Chief Fire Officer Chris Davies, who will leave the Service in April 2022, and the subsequent appointment of Deputy Chief Fire Officer Roger Thomas to the role of Chief Fire Officer; Assistant Chief Fire Officer Iwan Cray was appointed by the Authority’s Appointments Committee on Monday 31 January 2022. Forward-Thinking team Councillor Elwyn Williams, Chair of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority said: “It is with great pleasure that I can confirm that Assistant Chief Fire Officer Iwan Cray has successfully been appointed as our new Deputy Chief Fire Officer.” Iwan has a great track record in executive leadership here at Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service" “Iwan has a great track record in executive leadership here at Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and we are incredibly fortunate to be able to appoint an individual of his caliber to the role of Deputy Chief Fire Officer. Chief Fire Officer Chris Davies leaves our Service on April 2022 following an illustrious career and I speak on behalf of the Fire and Rescue Authority when I say that we have full confidence that both Iwan Cray and Roger Thomas will form a strong and forward-thinking team, who will drive this organization forward." Incredibly challenging position Assistant Chief Fire Officer Iwan Cray said: “I want to extend my gratitude to Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority in affording me the opportunity to become the new Deputy Chief Fire Officer for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.” “Whilst I have no doubt that it will be an incredibly challenging position, I am excited to work with our newly appointed Chief Fire Officer Roger Thomas and develop and enhance an organization that continues to deliver an exceptional service to our communities.”