June 2011

Keeping Fire and Rescue Service Personnel Informed Simply the best!

he Service has been recognised as the leading Fire Tand Rescue Service in the country at a major national awards ceremony. The organisation won "Fire Service of the Year" at the inaugural Emergency Services Awards held at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in April. Judges said that Cheshire had demonstrated exceptional all round performance and particularly praised its effectiveness at protecting local communities which has seen staff visit over 300,000 homes to give out vital safety advice and fit free smoke alarms. Chief Fire Officer Paul Hancock said, “I am obviously delighted that Cheshire has won such a prestigious award and the Authority Members." The award was presented by BBC title. presenter Nicholas Owen in a ceremony The Service's key achievements at the Emirates Stadium. “This is a just reward for the hard over the past five years include: work and dedication of staff throughout As well as the main Fire Service of • Fire-related injuries down from 133 our Service and it reflects not only on the Year award, Cheshire was also in 2004-05 to 37 in 2009-10 the effectiveness of our fire safety commended in the Fire Service prevention programmes but also only • Accidental house fires down from Innovation category and the Public the professionalism of our emergency 675 to 470 Communication section. response." • Fires in businesses cut from 668 to The Emergency Services Awards are Fire Authority Chair David Topping 243 supported by the British Fire Services added, “This is thoroughly deserved and Association, the Association of Police • Arson attacks reduced from 1,398 reflects the pride and commitment Authorities and the Ambulance Service to 580 demonstrated by everyone connected Network. with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service • Delivery of over 300,000 Home whether they are a firefighter, part of the Safety Assessments - 65% of support services, a volunteer or one of properties of all homes in Cheshire. I PLUS N ROAD SAFETY S ROUND- I UP D pg6 STAR awards Life saving - Charity car Special thanks E centre pages pg5 wash - pg13 - pg17 alert 2 june • 2011 A time for reflection moving tribute to the firefighters who lost their lives in the September 11 attacks on ANew York City has been presented to the Service. Artist, Neil Crosby, presented the Service with a print of a painting he did after the attacks on the Twin Towers back in 2001. The limited edition print, titled ‘A Time for Reflection’, n Terry McDermott being given the painting by Neil Crosby was presented to Area Manager Terry McDermott. It had previously hung in Cathedral before being moved to the artist’s mothers home before her death. His artwork has been bought extensively through the USA and UK, as well as fire stations and training establishments within It will now be hung at the Service’s headquarters Great Britain. Neil, was himself a Crew Commander at John Lennon International Airport, a position that he has held This is the final print of "A Time For Reflection". for a good number of years. Impact day he Community Fire Protection department passed on some important advice to local businesses Tduring a recent “Impact Day” in Town Centre. Twenty five audits were completed on the day. These focused on properties and businesses that were considered to be potentially at risk. Crewe CFP’s inspecting officers were ably supported by the Business Liaison Team and two Town Centre Wardens. Working together they visited an additional 37 business premises not programmed for audit to deliver arson prevention advice, electrical safety information and validate premises trade refuse agreements. During the day a number of unsecure vacant properties advice to passing members of the public. were identified and these have been referred to the Cheshire East Void and Vacant Property group to arrange Cheshire East Fire Authority Members Cllr David Topping securing. Two Community Fire Safety volunteers were also and Cllr Jaquie Weatherill both attended the day and on hand in the town to provided general home fire safety accompanied officers on a number of Fire Safety Audits. Earning respect Cheshire Fire Authority Member Cllr Stef Nelson accompanied Station Manager Phil Kilgour to the closing celebration of the latest Respect course at Widnes Fire Station. The young people all attended a one day course over nine weeks and completed a variety of team building activities to enhance their skills in areas such as fire safety, road safety, and team building exercises. The attending guests were treated to demonstrations and speeches by the team n Cllr Nelson awards the certificates accompanied by SM Phil Kilgour members and the certificates were awarded by Cllr Nelson. june • 2011 3 alert in my view. . . It sometimes seems that not a day goes by achievements and success stories we have without news of some success story enjoyed over the past year. It was also a arriving on my desk. In fact you only have chance to reflect on and celebrate the careers to read through the pages of this of those individuals who have spent the past publication to get a glimpse of the fantastic two decades working to save lives and help work going on across all areas of the make our communities safer. Service. I would like to congratulate all those However, I would like to say how proud I winners and nominees at this year’s STAR am that our Service has been heralded as Awards, as well as those who were there to ‘The Best in the Country’ at the recent receive their Long Service and Good Conduct Emergency Service’s Awards. I know that this medals. fantastic accolade is testament to the I would also like to comment on how dedicated hard work that takes place across pleased I was to see the sickness levels falling this organisation on a daily basis. It also in the way they have . As you know this has a reinforces the fact that by working together as huge impact on the effectiveness of the a team we can achieve a great deal. This organisation and staff morale. team effort coupled to our Cheshire values will aul ensure we continue to improve and deliver an Finally, I would like to thank everyone who P effective service to our communities took part in the recent Cheshire Safety Day for k once again helping us deliver what had once ancoc This year’s STAR awards ceremony also H appeared like an impossible challenge. helped highlight some of the fantastic

Evan Morris, Head of Community Safety for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Perfect Partners Service was delighted that the unique partnership had been recognised: "People aged over 65 are often at higher risk of a fire than the remainder of the population and are likely to have additional needs. We used our opportunity of being in the home to raise awareness of the services and support provided by Age UK and a contact assessment form was developed." The contact assessment form is the first stage of the Single Assessment Process, a national initiative to ensure that every over 65 year old is assessed for needs. Evan added: "Winning this award is the icing on the cake of what is an he Service has won Best Partnership Project at the Fire Excellence extremely successful partnership that Awards 2011, receiving a specially commissioned trophy at a benefits a growing section of our Tceremony at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, hosted by former rugby community.” international Martin Bayfield. Commenting on the partnership Jill The award, which came just weeks after we were named Fire and Rescue Walter, Chief Executive for Age UK: Service of the Year, was given for partnership work with Age UK. This focused on said; "Who would have thought the the employment of a jointly funded Advocate who case manages high risk Fire Service and Age UK would be individuals and effective inter-agency strategy to reduce risk. This post is a first for natural partners? Our work has Age UK and a fire and rescue service. brought a significant amount of money At the heart of the creation of the partnership was the recognition by Service into the pockets of those who really personnel that, when carrying out Home Safety Assessments and fitting smoke need it and were entitled to it. Staff alarms in the homes of over-65s, staff were able to let residents know of the should be extremely proud of the services and support provided by Age UK and also highlight potentially vulnerable benefits they are bringing to older individuals to Age UK. people in Cheshire.” alert 4 june • 2011 Investment in new training facilities

he ‘Fire House’ training facility at headquarters has undergone Ta major revamp to create a safer and more versatile environment. The changes include the following: Upgraded lighting : There has been work completed in the control room to fully decommission the old consul and provide a new lighting board. The lighting has now been upgraded on all levels. Building works : A change of the frontage of the facility to provide a more realistic look has been implemented. The upgraded facility also incorporates Temperature Monitoring : a corridor and space on the top floor to Temperature monitoring equipment has facilitate a flat scenario including high been fitted for safety purposes. It rise exercises and door entry includes full remote monitoring during procedures. A full refurbishment of the any heat oriented exercises. ground floor has also taken place. New BA Classroom : The new Thermal Imagery : A new ‘live’ feed training facilities now benefit from the via a transmitter and receiver which is relocation of the old BA classroom. This compatible with our Argus thermal is now located next to the Firehouse imaging cameras giving us the with a direct passage from one to the opportunity to observe and support other. Breathing Apparatus (BA) wearers. It Plans are now in the pipeline to also records footage offering useful create a new media briefing room feedback during learning events. where the old BA classroom was Images can also be fed ‘live’ into the located. It is hoped that this space will Incident Command Suite while the eventually be used both to train staff on training is taking place. how to deal with the press as well as providing a potential venue for press conferences. Helping out rews from White Watch in Widnes attended Oakfield Primary school as part of ‘People who Help Us’ Cproject. The children were given a talk on Home Safety and taught the importance of “stop drop and roll” and shown the award winning Service website. The children also nominated their teacher to be dressed as a firefighter. They were also shown round the appliance and given the opportunity to use the hose reels in the school yard. Their teacher Miss Edwards said: “It was a great day for the children. Thank you so much”. june • 2011 5 alert Life saving IN BRIEF action SAFETY smoke alarm fitted last March DAY by firefighters from Crewe Fire Red Watch in Widnes visited AStation has saved the lives of Spinney Avenue Primary School to a dad and his four children after it give some valuable information on woke them to a late night fire in their the work and duties that firefighters home. do. While his wife Yvonne was at work, The talk included basic fire safety Graham Price was fast asleep with his for the children to consider followed four children when he was alerted by a by a question and answer session. smoke alarm sounding in his home and After this the class went outside to was able to shut the door on the fire be shown around the fire appliance and get his children out to safety, just and its equipment, and got a hands as the front window of their property on feel by squirting some water blew out. from the hose reels which the young Fire crews arrived just before children seemed to enjoy above 11.30pm on May 13 and extinguished everything else. the blaze which affected the dining room and was caused by an electrical transformer which set fire to clothes. n Graham and Yvonne Price pictured with their children Jason aged seven, The family were so grateful that no Chantelle, aged five, Cory aged three harm had been done to their family and and two-year-old Destiny for the service Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service provided that they were "I would urge everyone to get a happy to talk to the local media about smoke alarm because it saved my their ordeal to highlight the need for family's lives. We are really lucky that everyone to have smoke alarms in their we only have cosmetic damage, which home. can be replaced but my family can't." Yvonne said, "Everyone thinks that Dad Graham suffered from slight CREWS this will never happen to them and I smoke inhalation at this incident but did was one of those people before this. not require hospital treatment. TARGET MOTORISTS A healthy organisation crews visited the local Supermarket to engage The Service is officially a healthier organisation now that figures show a with over 300 drivers as they did major reduction in staff absence due to sickness last year. their shopping. Overall sickness levels have dropped to 5.1days, which is below the target of A table was set up in the foyer and 6 days set by the Fire Authority and well below previous year’s figures. the crew spoke to shoppers as they Chief Fire Officer, Paul Hancock said: “I am delighted with these figures. headed out towards their cars, Attendance at work is an important part of the performance record that an handing out leaflets on the individual builds from the day they join the organisation. All employees have a importance of keeping their vehicles responsibility for maintaining their health and fitness and by regular attendance at in good order including information work the contribute to the effectiveness of the Service. on the legal tread depth and the “Good attendance also helps develop personal satisfaction, a sense of importance of having the correct belonging and strengthens relationships with colleagues”. tyre pressure. More than 500 staff from across the Service have received certificates for To reinforce the message achieving 100% attendance. Firefighters handed out free tread It is believed that the drop in sickness has been influenced by staff at all levels depth and tyre pressure gauges following the absence management procedures, as well as assistance from along with car air fresheners and Occupational Health. key rings. alert 6 june • 2011 Road safety round-up

irefighters and advocates have the public the limitations when driving curves when negotiating roundabouts enjoyed a busy few months an HGV, not only the lack of vision and and the longer time it takes to stop due Fhelping to highlight road safety numerous blind spots, but also to the weight of the vehicle. issues across Cheshire. In addition explaining the need to take wider Powerbikes : The Powerbikes was to the usual programme of Drive attended by more than 3000 bikers and Survive and Driver Engagement Days was held at Truck Stop in April the Service has also organised and and was organised by firefighters Glenn had a presence at a number of high Young, Neil Hyde, Stuart Pickering; profile events with the aim of Rick Weaver and Dave Murray from the promoting safe road use. Police and Lisa Scott from Halton These included events such as the Borough Council and Bev Mercer from Thundersprint, Powerbikes and the Borough Council and Road Transport festival. Crews and Safety Officer Frances Egerton. members of the Road Safety team also held a series of special events to mark n At Sandbach Transport festival, the United Nations’ decade of Action, Danny Bowen and Lorraine Page which focuses on road safety. escorting a child from the smoke tent. Community Safety Manager, Martin Dowle said: “It has been a busy but rewarding few months that has seen us engage with literally thousands of people. I would just like to thank everyone involved in the delivery of these events for their hard work and UN Decade of Action : A series of dedication to making our roads safer.” events took place across Cheshire to mark the launch of the Un’s Decade of The next big event in the road safety Action to improve road safety across calendar is an event that will see an the world. These included ‘Good Egg engagement event that stretches from n Shirley Wakefield, Transport Manager Guide’ events and driver engagement Lands End to John O’Groats. This from Walkers Crisps events. event, which is being supported by the Chief Fire Officer’s Association, takes place on July 22. good eggs Thundersprint : ’s annual bike extravaganza “Thundersprint” took White Watch at Macclesfield attended a ‘Fun for All’ soft play centre as place on Sunday 8 May. It was an part of the ‘good egg’ car safety initiative aimed at increasing parents extremely busy day for the three awareness of the importance of making sure you have the appropriate car members of the Road Safety team who seat for your child, that they are properly installed and the law as to what attended with 300 evaluation forms is required in terms of keeping your children safe in your vehicle. completed in less than four hours with Crews spent the morning talking to parents at the Centre giving out copies at least 800 people given leaflets and of the guide and providing extra tips and advice where required. More safety advice throughout the day. information on safety in cars and the ‘good egg’ scheme can be found on Sandbach Transport Festival : This www.protectchildgb.org.uk event saw Shirley Wakefield, Transport Manager from Walkers Crisps and one of their drivers showing the members of

n Hannah Lloyd and Dave Petley at Thundersprint in Northwich june • 2011 7 alert Moving Service THANKS CHESTER VISIT IS EYE OPENER {Thank you for allowing me to visit Chester Fire Station. It was a really fascinating afternoon and I so enjoyed meeting Richie Gerrard and his Watch. embers of Cheshire’s ISAR team joined royalty and special They are a great team and I was dignitaries at a special service of remembrance at Westminster really glad to have the opportunity to MAbbey to honour their rescue efforts in New Zealand. meet them all and hear about all that they do. Before this year I had no The seven were invited by the New Zealand High Commissioner of idea about the work of the Fire and Derek Leask along with the whole UK-ISAR contingency to commemorate those Rescue Service in the community. who lost their lives in New Zealand on February 22. They play such an important role A Maori song welcomed the congregation into the Abbey and HRH Prince throughout Cheshire not only rolling Charles attended the poignant service and laid a wreath of white and yellow roses out The Prince’s Trust, but all the during the prayers, which had a message written in Maori which read "You will be other community projects they do – remembered always”. quite remarkable! | Mark Coleman, Operations Commander for the UK-ISAR team said: "We were With best wishes, Diana Barbour all honoured to be given the chance to remember the people of Christchurch at this special ceremony. "It was very emotional for everyone who attended as many people lost their lives in this earthquake, but it gave everyone the chance to reflect on their rescue PRIMARY efforts and to remember not only the people who lost their lives, but also the friends they have made and those who are now left behind rebuilding the city and SCHOOL their lives. "We witnessed a fantastic community spirit while we were in Christchurch and FIRE SAFETY we saw this spirit again at the remembrance service in the New Zealand community who now live in the UK, who also attended to pay their respects.” TALK The seven firefighters from Cheshire were Station Manager Mark Coleman; {Firefighter Molyneax and his team Station Manager Stuart Devereux; Firefighter Andy Hurst; Crew Manager Gareth have been out this morning to Scott; Watch Manager Mark Bushell; Crew Manager Daryl Codling and Watch Primary School to talk Manager Paul Bickerton. about Fire safety and allow Year 5 to use the smoke tent. All the children have thoroughly enjoyed the morning and learned a lot - as has Forest flame been demonstrated by their success on this website and the tests! They A Cadet Cluster Exercise gave a valuable insight into what is involved in the are now thoroughly enjoying the fighting of forest fires. games and information on this site The special training event was held at Reaseheath College, in April. as a follow-up. Cadets and staff from the two units at Crewe, Nantwich, , , I was delighted to see that the and Malpas spent the day tackling smoke tent was able to be used the ‘fires’ and carrying out rescues. again in school as I felt that this was Senior Fire Cadets were probably one of the most appointed as Incident Commanders memorable and educational and Sector Officers for the exercise experiences for the children. Huge scenarios. All thought the exercise thanks to everyone from all at was thought provoking, interesting Daresbury Primary School. | and served as an enjoyable team From the Head Teacher building exercise but was also great Daresbury Primary School fun. alert 8 june • 2011 High impact workshop

arrington’s Blue Watch took These days encourage participants to part in a Crime Safety respect the value of their freedom while WAwareness days at William experiencing the restrictive regimes of a Beamont High School and Lysander real day in the life of a prisoner first High School run by the “Prison, Me! hand. No Way!!!” Trust. The day consists of six workshops; The day was designed to help Fire Service, Prison Life, Prisoner students understand the causes, Insight, Street scene, Impaired driving consequences and penalties of crime. and Drugs workshops. The event includes high impact Firefighters showed pupils the workshops, role-plays and drama. consequences of a road traffic collision Students are provided with a unique and the wide spread effects that it can opportunity to learn in an innovative have not only on the people involved at and active way about the possible the incident scene, but also the family consequences of becoming involved in of those involved, their way of life and antisocial or criminal behaviour. the effect of the incident on Firefighters Year 9 and 10 pupils visited by the that have attended the scene. This No Way Trust are removed from their was achieved using a combination of normal daily school cycle and become powerful video clips and a scene isolated from other members of their played out in front of the pupils. peer group for the day and treated like Firefighter John Turner said of the prisoners. The young people day, “The pupils were a credit to both participate in exercise and meal consequences of the actions that we themselves and their schools with routines and are escorted from take and where that can lead.” some excellent questions and thoughts workshop to workshop as “actual being raised. Both Pupils and Staff For more information go to prisoners” are when moving round. alike left with a new outlook on the www.pmnw.co.uk Schools rise to Phoenix Challenge idnes firefighters set a They set pupils a series of the area. sporting challenge for four challenges and problem solving tasks. Crew Manager Paul Rostance said: local primary schools. The Each school then selected eight pupils - W "This event aimed to encourage Phoenix Challenge is an initiative four boys and four girls - to compete in children to join different sports clubs. aimed at Year 6 pupils from the four the Grand Final which took place at There was a fantastic turnout on the Widnes 'Phoenix' schools affiliated Kingsway Leisure Centre in May. night including many parents cheering to each of the Watches which Those competing faced a series of for their children. Hopefully we can culminated in 32 pupils competing challenges including tennis, table now turn into an annual event". for the prestigious Phoenix Trophy. tennis, problem solving, pond dipping, Although it was a close run contest, Working in partnership with Halton a relay, basketball and a staff challenge. St Basils, Green Watch’s team, were Borough Council's sports development On the night there were also the overall winners and got to take the coach, firefighters visited each of the representatives from sports and hobby 'Phoenix Trophy' back to their school. competing schools; All Saints, Upton, clubs offering vouchers for the children St Basil's, St Gerard's RC and to try out various activities available in Farnworth C of E. june • 2011 9 alert

from Team effort The Chair undreds of staff from across Service joined Hforces to help make the second Cheshire safety day a huge success. The aim of the second annual Cheshire Safety Day was to raise as much awareness as possible of how to stay safe in the kitchen, in the home, on the roads and in the community. More than a dozen events were I would like to start by saying a held across the service's area and huge thank you and well done to firefighters, community safety staff, all those involved in this year’s support staff and managers, fire Cheshire Safety Day. cadets, volunteers and colleagues To proactively engage with from a range of partner organisations more than a 1,000 people in one completed a staggering 1,125 home day is a remarkable achievement safety assessments. This is in addition and clearly demonstrates how we to engaging with almost 300 road all have the same objective – users in a bid to change people's protecting the local communities driving habits and make our roads we serve. safer. It was a real pleasure to once again take part in such a fantastic event. The whole experience highlighted the dedication and community spirit that is evident across this organisation. Last month I attended the national High Volume Pump (HVP) exercise at Avonmouth Docks with firefighters from . This was designed to assess the capability of fire and rescue services and the National Resilience Advisory team to coordinate and manage multiple large scale incidents. Ensuring that our firefighters get the best possible training has been high on the Fire Authority agenda for some time now and something that we are keen to continue to support. When you attend exercises like this you really get an insight into the value of this investment in our equipment, personal protection and the professionalism and practical skills of our crews. I know I speak not only for myself but also my colleagues on the Fire Authority when I say how proud I am to be a part of an organization recognised as the best performing in the country. alert 10 june • 2011 Hot top ic

he Business Liaison team hosted a successful training event for Fire Risk Assessors (FIA) and TCommunity Fire Protection’s inspecting officers at Headquarters in April. Methods of passive fire protection were discussed by experts in their respective fields, including fire doors, frames and fire seals, ironmongery, fire dampers, structural fire protection and compartment wall penetrations. A fire door will not sustain protection from fire without adequate fixtures and fittings to go with it such as hinges and screws. Martin Duggan, General Manager of the FIA thanked the services and share information and this is the first event of its Service on behalf of their North West members for making kind in the North. Discussions are already underway for the them welcome and providing superb conference facilities. provision of future seminars providing training opportunities for The FIA members are keen to work with fire and rescue staff from the Community Fire Protection department. Festival success The annual ‘Festival of Transport’ in Fire Cadets provided a road traffic Sandbach has proved yet again to collision display and more than £800 be an outstanding success. was raised for the Fire Fighters Charity and the Cadets Ghana project. Firefighters, Cadets and Volunteers spent the day engaging with the public To conclude a very successful throughout the town as Service weekend - firefighters even won the vehicles modern and vintage took to town truck pull competition! the streets in the parade seen by thousands of people. Cadets took part in the Carnival parade on the Saturday, giving out fire safety information as they passed through the town. Hundreds of spectators saw a fire and police service demonstration of a chemical incident at the town’s display arena. SPECIAL PULL-OUT Celebrating our STARS

‘STARS’ from across the organisation gathered to celebrate the third annual staff awards ceremony at the Park Royal Hotel in Warrington. The aim of the awards is to recognise and reward the contribution, commitment and talent that exist within our organisation. a Jones ter & Ursul Graham Fos n to a Team The judges of this year’s event had quite a Contributio challenge due to an impressive array of people being nominated by their peers and colleagues for going above and beyond their ‘day job’. The STAR awards, which were launched in 2009 following feedback from the Staff Satisfaction Survey, has now become a regular feature in our annual calendar of events. We are currently carrying out a review of both the nomination process and the categories used. If anyone has any suggestions that could help this process please contact Rich Daly with your feedback. Alan Owen Volunteer of the Year

FF Rob Everson Most effective work in the community Courageous Action Award Bravo Watch, and Red Watch, Widnes ing way – Work Chris Roda People Jenna Clare, Respect programme FF en and Young Learner of the Year with Childr

Team of the Year Fire Station

eve Barnes Manager St ear Station Manager Martin Dowle Station yee of the Y Fire & Rescue Service Excellence Emplo Long Service Good Conduct

At the same ceremony nine firefighters received their Long Service Good Conduct medal from the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, David Briggs. This award was instigated in 1954 by the then Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. A Royal Warrant was approved by Her Majesty the Queen, and an announcement was made in the House of Commons by Winston Churchill on June 1st 1954, accompanied by a White Paper giving the terms of the Warrant.

The Long Service and Good Conduct Medal is hand stamped with the recipient’s name and awarded to those individuals who have completed twenty years’ exemplary service. This year’s recipients of the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal were: Robert Bailey, Mark Cashin, Lee Cliffe, Gillian Dimelow, Paul Johnson, Phil Jones, John McDermott, Michael (Gus) O'Rourke and Paul Winder were all presented with their medals by the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, David Briggs. Watch Manager Dimelow is the first female firefighter in Cheshire to receive this award.

A further 15 recipients of the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal who were unable to attend the ceremony received their awards after the event. They were: Paul Donaghy, Roy Greenhalgh, Stuart Hammond, Steven Hughes, Andrew Kent, Lynne Legge, Christopher McGarry, Wayne Oakes, Gary Simpson, Jonathan Stockley, Neil Sutton, Stephen Sweeting, David Ward, Karen Jones and Sylvia Proctor.

Long Service Good Conduct june • 2011 11 alert Lessons in road safety acclesfield firefighters from White Watch supported the Safer Roads Partnership Mduring a joint road safety initiative with the Police and Ambulance service at Macclesfield High School. The morning consisted of an ‘incident’ where there had been a fatal road traffic collision and all three Services demonstrated to the students how the emergency services deal with such incidents. The aim was to highlight just how at risk young drivers are at being involved in a collision. With a real live ‘casualty’ trapped in the drivers seat the firefighters set to work in real time with the rescue equipment to extricate them while working alongside the Police and paramedics. After a successful rescue the firefighters, police and ambulance staff sat with the students in workgroups to discuss the consequences, how collisions can be avoided and the after effects on the families of those involved. The students then had the opportunity to realise to effects of alcohol on driving ability by getting behind the wheel of a Pedal Kart to completed a circuit of a very simple course whilst wearing ‘beer goggles’ to simulate the effects of alcohol before being given a further presentation by the road safety team. The event was considered to be a great success. Launch of a new network he Service is proud to be relaunching its Lesbian, Gay, TBisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Network. Over the coming weeks and months the aim is for the Network to become a real focal point for LGBT staff in our organisation. However, at the moment its ranks are currently what can only be • be ambassadors for our Service in These aims are not set in stone. In described as small but perfectly the LGBT communities we serve fact, agreeing some clear objectives is top of our things to do list - as is formed. • act as a sounding board for any coming up with a snappier name for our part of our Service that wishes to We would therefore love to hear network. If you would like further engage with the LGBT community from any member of staff who wants to: information, please visit the new LGBT • help foster an environment where • join forces with LGBT colleagues Network pages on the intranet under everyone can feel safe in being in partner organisations and the ‘My Fire Service’, email open about their sexual orientation community to raise the profile of [email protected] or contact issues that affect us Matt Maguire on 01606 868775 or • ensure the organisation Mark Shone on 01606 868408. It goes • make friends, get together socially recognises some of the challenges without saying that all e-mails and calls and make a difference. LGBT people sometimes face at are treated completely confidentially. work alert 12 june • 2011 IN THE Back from Japan FF Steve Buckley & Bryn

As promised in the last edition of On the Tuesday they were the Alert, firefighter Steve Buckley, redeployed to a town called Kamaishi Fortunately we had a Doctor on our talks about the harrowing and further up the coast, where no search team who looked after him. He difficult mission he undertook to teams had previously been. proved that with all the training we Japan with his Border Collie search have done that this mission pulled Steve described the conditions as dog Bryn. together everything we have been restricting as it had already been working towards”. The pair were deployed in the snowing prior to their arrival, and thick aftermath of a devastating earthquake snow covered the ground which Although the teams didn’t find any and tsunami that had caused massive hampered their mobility due to the trapped victims, they did recover devastation across the country. amount of debris under foot, which bodies allowing the Japanese people was disguised by the snow fall. to find some closure on finding their Steve explains, “I got the call to say loved ones. that Bryn and I were needed to Describing the devastation, Steve, accompany an International Search who has previously visited earthquake And Rescue (ISAR) team from Kent. In sites said, “Unlike a straightforward a matter of hours we were on board a earthquake, the tsunami had done so direct flight to an air base in the north much more damage. Boats had been of Japan.” carried with the force of the water and just dropped in the middle of the town some 600 metres from the sea. What I saw was nature at its most damaging with the force that the water toppling houses over on their roofs and water lines more than 20 feet high on houses which were over 400 metres from the Steve adds, “The people we met, sea.” although in deep shock, were humbling and dignified in the light of Heavy snow and the fact they had such tragedy. We were given such a to be continuously monitored for the warm reception. I would also like to effects of radiation added to the thank my fellow ISAR team members difficulty of the mission. for their efforts and professionalism Steve, however has nothing but under harrowing conditions.” praise for the rescue dog Bryn, “He Bryn got a full had a check-up with wasn’t fazed by anything that we a local vet on his return. He had his came across. He was calm under all The pair then made the seven-hour wound re-stitched and then enjoyed the pressure, during the travelling and journey to the town of Ofunato where some well deserved rest and during the rescue mission. He was they joined a team of 64 who initially recuperation. even injured on the Monday, when he searched an industrial area of the cut his leg during a search of a house, town. They then spread to search the but didn’t even make a sound. residential areas.

Do you have any comments or suggestions for Be future editions of the Alert? If so call the Service’s Corporate Communications team on 01606 868786 Alert! or email chris.blackham@cheshirefire.gov.uk june • 2011 13 alert Charity car wash success

tations across the county helped raise thousands for The Fire Fighters Charity Charity Car wash at Widnes Sduring this year’s annual car wash n event. Firefighters, Fire Cadets and helpers were out in force. Armed with buckets and sponges they managed to raise more than £8500 for the charity. Chair of the Fire Fighters Charity and Deputy Chief Fire Officer Mark Cashin said, “This was a fantastic achievement. The charity car wash is a great way to raise money for The Fire Fighters Charity which has provided assistance to serving and retired Firefighters for more than 60 years and also increase awareness of road safety.” Although the efforts of all teams were n Charity Car wash at impressive a special mention should go to Station who extended their hours and raised a magnificent £2169 – believed to be the highest in the country! It costs over £9 million every year to keep The Fire Fighters Charity running, and with no government funding, it is completely reliant on donations from the general public and fire community. Stations involved included: Northwich, , Chester, Runcorn, Widnes, Middlewich, Sandbach, Wilmslow, Nantwich, , Macclesfield, Congleton, Crewe, , Warrington and Birchwood. n Charity Car wash at Macclesfield

n Charity Car wash at Crewe n Charity Car wash at Wilmslow alert 14 june • 2011 Five star safety conference he Service recently hosted a national conference focussing on the safe evacuation of Tdisabled and vulnerable people in the event of a hotel fire. The “5 Star Fire Safety” conference, which was held at Crewe Hall, was supported by speakers from the world of fire engineering, health and safety, tourism and disability groups. The event was Chaired by Dr David Bonnet, a leading authority on accessible design and a consultant architect for the 2012 Olympics athletes' village. John Woodcock, the International President of the Institution of Fire Engineers, officially opened the conference. Delegates then heard from a number of industry professionals. • Colin Todd, who talked about fire safety legislation, the Equality Act and Building Regulations; n Jaspal Dhani talks to a packed audience at the Five Star Conference • Jaspal Dhani, the Chief Executive of the UK Disabled People's Council, who, as a wheelchair user himself, shared personal experiences of Greenwich, talked about human behaviour patterns during problems faced when travelling fire evacuation, with particular emphasis on those with disabilities • Elspeth Grant of TripleAconsult talked about the evacuation of disabled people from difficult buildings • Brian Seaman of Tourism for All UK gave an overview of the and PEEPs – Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans value of the disabled guest market • Jaspal Dhani, Author of Fire Risk Assessment • Warren Spencer of Blackhurst Budd Solicitors talked about Supplementary Guide – Means of Escape for the prosecutions of hotel premises that breached fire safety Disabled People looked at how a hotel's existing legislation and summarised the penalties faced by hoteliers layout can be used to facilitate escape who didn't maintain adequate fire prevention measures. • Professor Ed Galea, a founder member of The Fire Feedback from the delegates was both extremely positive Safety Engineering Group of the University of and encouraging. Celebration tea Beavers visit Fire Cadets at Audlem recently held a presentation celebration. Following a drill and firefighting demonstration station the Cadets were presented with First Aid and Duke of Edinburgh Bronze awards followed by afternoon tea. Birchwood Fire Station hosted a visit from Beaver colony in May. There was also a cake stall, tombola and raffle to help raise funds for two Audlem Cadets David Vernon and Sam Morley Fifteen Beavers aged between six and eight years had who are going to Ghana this summer. a great time learning about the fire station, appliances and equipment but also gained some important fire safety advice while working towards their Safety Badge. At the end of the session the Beavers were given a chance to try squirting water from the hoses.

n l – R Joe Husband, Edward Thompson, David Vernon, Jarad Southall Martin, Sam Morley, Naomi Brown, Ben Glover, Matt Turner june • 2011 15 alert Published author IN BRIEF in our ranks ROYAL ay Sullivan, Technical Fire Safety Officer, FESTIVITIES based in Chester has reason to celebrate after Green Watch Warrington were Rhis latest novel was short-listed for break invited to a rather special occasion through novel competition by online retailer Amazon. on 29 April. The contents of Ray’s third sci-fi novel “Skin” draws A street party on Elmsett Close was heavily on his military career, having spent 24 years in held to celebrate the Royal Wedding the RAF. of Prince William and Catherine Ray said: “The novel includes an extensive back Middleton. While crews were story about an abortive Special Forces mission and enjoying the festivities they took the although my books are clearly sci-fi, the main part is a opportunity to give out safety advice cracking adventure that is resolved through strong characterisations and human to the happy revellers and children endeavour.” were taken around the appliance Ray who already has three e-books published on Amazon has just had his and shown various pieces of fourth novel ‘DLF’ about digital life forms published. equipment. Great fire of Nantwich fire engine from Congleton was called out to the Great Fire of Nantwich or at least a re-creation of the event which occurred 428 Ayears ago in the town and destroyed 150 timber framed buildings. WEST BANK The children of Primary School had constructed a number of model houses complete with thatched roofs. These were laid out to represent a ROYAL INVITE street in Nantwich. Green Watch were invited to join in With the children positioned a safe distance away and covering jets in place, with the Royal Wedding their teacher, Mr Pennington, got the demonstration under way. celebrations in the West Bank area The roof of the first house was set on fire and the gentle breeze did the rest of Widnes which included donkey and within a minute the first roof was no more and the second and third were rides on the sand, a bucking ablaze. Soon all ten buildings were well alight and within fifteen minutes only a bronco, a laser tag shooting game smouldering pile of ash was left. and other crazy attractions. The re-creation had demonstrated very vividly the dangers of fire. Firefighters Crews took an active part in the were then able to promote smoke alarms and Home Safety Assessments. festivities, especially when challenged to a laser tag battle by local small children. After a battle of random carnage the crew settled on an honourable draw. The event was well attended and the fantastic weather only added to an enjoyable national celebration.

n Pupils and staff witness the Great Fire of Nantwich alert 16 june • 2011 What a transformation! warehouse room has been transformed into a dance studio thanks to a team of Ayoung people from The Prince’s Trust personal development programme in Crewe. The 16 to 21 year olds from ‘Team 32’ were challenged to revamp the facility in Middlewich Street, Crewe so it could be used by a local dance group. Their tasks included clearing out the room, cleaning it, laying flooring and painting the area and its nearby corridors. They chose the project at the warehouse, which is being turned into a community space for local groups, from two possible ideas. The need for the revamp had been championed by the building’s owner Tom Leonard. Tom describes the warehouse project as: “An exciting new proposal for the centre of Crewe n Mayor of Crewe and Fire Authority member Cllr Jacquie Weatherill which proactively responds to the communities congratulates members of The Princes Trust Team Crewe 32 needs for a gym and creative arts centre promoting sport, health, education and well-being”. Sarah said: “The transformation in the room was amazing and I’m Team 32 spent more than three weeks on their so pleased with the team’s efforts. They really got a lot out of it and part of the warehouse completely transforming the seeing the results of their hard work made it worthwhile for them.” room. The also helped to begin the task of creating Friends and family, the Mayor of Crewe and Fire Authority member a recording booth in a unit downstairs, cleaning out Cllr Jacquie Weatherill, Cheshire Fire Authority Chair Cllr David Topping the area and building stud walls. Prince’s Trust and representatives from Wulvern Housing Association joined the team project manager Sarah McCreaddie and assistant members to celebrate the room’s official opening. Pete Jones helped to organise the work. Barn bl aze

Crews battled throughout the night to contain a fire involving three Dutch Barns in Knutsford. Firefighters from Knutsford, , Warrington and Holmes Chapel were accompanied by the Command Unit and appliance from Runcorn and the Welfare Unit from Middlewich. The increased attendance was for water supply which was established from open water and a hydrant and two ground monitors, one main jet, two hose reels and two breathing apparatus wearers were used to extinguish the fire. It was confirmed that there were no hazardous substances in the barns. The fire was subsequently surrounded by three ground monitors, with one main jet and one hose reel laid out to protect the adjacent buildings. People living near to the incident site were advised to close their windows to prevent smoke from getting in. Crews were still in attendance the next morning damping down. A fire investigation was unable to discover the cause of the fire. june • 2011 17 alert A special thank you

n July last year Knutsford Firefighters were called to an incident on Manor Park South in IKnutsford where a 17-year-old from Macclesfield had been thrown from his motorcycle and become trapped by his legs under the front wheels of bus. Working closely with colleagues from Wilmslow and the other emergency services the crew mananged to lift the bus and release Edward Harrison. Due to the seriousness of the injuries sustained to his left leg and the fractures to the right leg the crews were keen to learn of his progress in the following days. Sadly it was first thought that Edward may have to undergo an operation to remove his left leg from below the knee as a result of the injuries sustained. However, the Knutsford crew were understandably delighted when Edward and his mother ‘walked’ into n Crew Manager Daryl Codling, Firefigher Stu Mcgowan, Edward and the fire station to let them know of Edward’s fantastic his mother Alison, Firefighters Billy Cooper and Andy Horne. progress and to thank them for their efforts on that fateful day. Edward had in fact not lost his leg but had finish, commenting on his bravery during this traumatic experience undergone some remarkable reconstructive surgery and demonstrated to him the equipment they used. involving grafting muscle from his back and skin from Finally all celebrated the good news in the traditional manner of his leg. a cup of tea and a slice of cake which was kindly provided by Wanting to know what happened on that day the Edward and his mum Alison. crew talked him through the incident from start to We did it again Red Watch n March Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service passed the 60,000 Home Chester go Safety Assessment (HSA) target for successful assessments Icompleted. As we stand since 2002 we have delivered to quackers over 300,000 properties, in total 65% of all households in Cheshire having received an Two fire appliances from Chester’s HSA. As a result 41% reduction in Red Watch attended a charity Accidental Dwelling Fires and 70% duck race held on the River Dee in reduction in injuries sustained in fires have aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma been recorded. Research. Head of Community Fire Safety, Evan This provided an opportunity for Morris, said: “This achievement should not be spectators to look around the underestimated and has only been possible appliances and for crews to deliver because of the Service personnel’s determination home and road safety advice to the and drive. large crowd gathered to watch the hundreds of sponsored plastic Congratulations should go to all involved for this fantastic achievement with ducks released from the Suspension thanks for the tremendous effort and continued support made to make Cheshire Bridge. Safer.” The current whisked them Close working with Health Service and Social Care services, Age UK and the downstream to the finishing line at Deafness Support Network also enabled staff to give support to and help improve the Weir. An enjoyable day was had the health and wellbeing of more vulnerable members of the community. by all and funds raised for a worthwhile cause. alert 18 june • 2011 Arrivals New starters SIMON SPENNATI SAM BRYAN Simon is an On Call Firefighter based in Sam is an On Call Firefighter in Winsford Malpas who previously started as a Fire and is also a Student in Preston who also Cadet. He is now a Cadet Leader and a works part-time is a warehouse. He has Volunteer and is involved in the Post Fire also enrolled on the Cheshire Fire and Support Team. Rescue Service High Potential Scheme.

KRISTIAN CLOWES DAVID HICKS Kristian is an On Call Firefighter in David is an On Call Firefigher in Middlewich and is also a school sports Middlewich and is a Fire Cadet Leader co-ordinator providing disabled students and a Volunteer, particularly involved with with sporting opportunities in the Vale the Road Safety team especially involving Royal area. He also scouts for potential motorbikes. He previously served in the Paralympic entrants and has a degree is RAF for over 16 years. Sports Science. BENJAMIN JOHNSTON MICHAEL COOPER Benjamin is an On Call Firefighter in Michael is an On Call Firefighter in Winsford who is a student at Mid- and for the past six years has Cheshire College in Northwich and has been the Manager of a Leisure Club. His also been involved for over four years as a hobbies include football and Volunteer instructor with Winsford Fire mountaineering. Cadets.

ASHLEA BROWNRIGG LEWIS PEARSON Ashlea is an On Call Firefighter in Lewis Pearson is an On Call Firefighter in Sandbach and was a Fire Cadet at the . He is also a manager of a station for over two years. She also is public house in the village, a post he had heavily involved in Womens Football, both held for the past three years. as a player and as a qualified Referee. STEPHEN MASON IAN KNOTT Steve has joined us on an interim basis as Ian has joined us as an on-call Firefighter Director of People & Organisational at Birchwood. For over two years he has Development. He has supported various also been a wholetime Firefighter at sectors and industries at a senior level Longton in Staffordshire. He was and brings over 22 years emergency previously a Volunteer for CFRS and the services HR experience and has worked British Red Cross as well as working as a directly with a number of FRS’s Transport Supervisor. throughout the UK since 2004. Farewells Leavers CM Mark Ralston Stockton Heath 1 Mar 4 yrs 9 mths Dave Lewis SHQ 31 Mar 4 yrs 7 mths Naazlin Somani SHQ 13 Mar 2 yrs Kate Preece SHQ 6 April 2 yrs FF Robert Lorains Poynton 14 Mar 10 yrs 11 mths Janet Burns SHQ 30 April 2 yrs 0 mths Lisa Brierley SHQ 31 Mar 3 yrs 5 mths Wendy Williams Control SHQ 30 April 18 yrs 3 mths FF Jamie Cowin Warrington 31 Mar 3 yrs 11 mths WM Paul Winder Middlewich 31 May 21 yrs 2 mths

Retirements FF Norman Stoneley Middlewich 1 April 26 yrs 3 mths FF Neil Humphreys Ellesmere Port 11 May 28 yrs 1 mth UPM John Salt Chester 25 Mar 33 yrs 1 mth FF Mark Proctor Birchwood 23 June 30 yrs Christine Vernon SHQ 4 April 8 yrs 8 mths WM Andrew Vernon Tarporley 23 June 31 yrs 2 mths FF Robert Benson Crewe 9 April 28 yrs 7 mths TWM Gill Dimelow Audlem 30 June 20 yrs WM Chris Mannix Winsford 9 April 32 yrs 2 mths FF Gary Williamson Northwich 4 July 30 yrs AM Mark Abram SHQ 15 April 20 yrs FF Nicholas Gough Northwich 29 July 22 yrs june • 2011 19 alert On your bike Special recognition

The on the street partnership launched its second BMX competition in Victoria park Widnes at the end of March n The successful Cadet groups being with the attendance rising year on year. congratulated by the Approximately 250 supporters and competitors attended Lord Lieutenant and with the competition split to under 14’s and over 14’s. Sandbach representatives This years competition was judged by a team from receiving the Best “Rampworks" based in Liverpool and the prizes were donated Endeavour Trophy. by Adidas and Cheshire Fire and Recue Service. Big thanks to organiser James Truscott and the Widnes crew and Tracy, Vicky and Sam did a fantastic job of sorting out the entrants and providing over three gallons of hot chocolate and soup!

Cheshire Fire Cadets have been rewarded by the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire David Briggs MBE in a ceremony recently held at the Daresbury Park Hotel. The Cadet group that raised the most for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal was Congleton, with Nantwich and Frodsham as runner up and third place. The Lord Lieutenant’s Best Endeavour Trophy for Special Recognition was given to Sandbach Fire Cadets and The Individual Winner who raised the most was Cadet Cooper from Wilmslow Fire Cadets. Insight into the work of our charity In March this year I, Watch Manager Jason Lyth, had the been given back many functions that the injury was impeding pleasure of spending a two week rehabilitation in a normal healthy way of life. programme at Jubilee Therapy Centre in Penrith due to a You will struggle to find a friendlier, professional, post operation on a neck injury. dedicated skilled bunch of people with the equipment and Now when I say rehabilitation programme I don’t want facilities and resources to match anywhere else in the UK. you all to get the impression I spent two weeks drinking Please note that these facilities are for all Firefighters and cocktails at the pool side. I had a set programme for each their spouses. You must never feel you are going to take the day that involved intensive therapy depending on my illness, place of another person that you feel may need these injury, physical condition and my general fitness level. I was facilities more due to their injury. Places are all given by set a prescribed personal set of exercises that helped me independent score levels and in truth the facilities are only improve and manage my injury. running at 70% full capacity at any one time and the charity would love to fill these facilities to 100% where possible. I It all may seem a lot but you are encouraged to work at would strongly recommend that if ever you or your your own level to improve your own health in a controlled and dependants require help in the future you give the The Fire steady manner. Fighters Charity a call or go to their web site which will give I do believe that from this rehabilitation program I have you further information http://www.firefighterscharity.org.uk been able to reduce my recovery period by half and I have alert 20 june • 2011 SPORT & WELFARE • SPORT & WELFARE • SPORT & Brazilian orphan Sport & Welfare adventure Advocate Emma Hudson has just spent time at an orphanage in Brazil and Chester half in her own words below gives an account of the worthwhile project: “I have just spent two weeks in Brazil at an orphanage in Betel helping run a project which was set up by my mentor and instructor, Ingela Larson Smith who marathon teaches natural horsemanship and dedicates her life to helping the poor and On May 15 West Cheshire Athletics disadvantaged. Club hosted its Annual Half Marathon I felt very event seeing over two thousand privileged to be runners come to the City for the invited to go to increasingly popular run. Brazil as part of the With the FireFit Challenge in mind, team of instructors Firefighter Rob Kershaw and Crew to interact and teach Manager Eric Campbell decided to the boys and girls organise an initiative. Green Watch came in the concepts of early to beat the crowds down to Chester natural Race Course to be there for the start along horsemanship and with the Fire Cadets and an Outreach help them with vehicle. Family and friends of runners were learning English. They had already developed good partnerships with the shown around the appliances while leaflets horses who were all semi-wild when they got to know them a year ago. were handed out from the Outreach They are now learning how to communicate with horses on the ground in the vehicle and Key Stage 2 and Road Safety same way that a lead mare in the herd would, which develops communication, videos were displayed from the projector. leadership, respect, trust, self esteem and confidence and in turn develops the Meanwhile the battle was on between boys and girls life skills in dealing with people and gives them a chance in life to Firefighter Derek Morris and Crew Manager get to work with horses or become leaders of other projects. Neil Harrison who competed in the race. Congratulations to Derek who completed I hope to go again this year as it has been a life changing experience for me.” the run in 1hour 35 mins whilst Neil came For more information go to in close behind at 1 hour 44 mins. www.lostchildrenoftheearth.com/horses4orphans.htm Memorial golf day Running at Brookfield Races At the end of March the Ultrafit St The Tony Kane memorial golf day was held at Brookfield Golf Club and was Annes 10 mile race was run on a very well supported by fire and rescue staff from across Cheshire. very wet and windy day in St Annes on Sea. The race also incorporating The day was dry if a little cold but this did not seem to affect the 32 golfers the National 10 mile Fire who teed off in this Texas scramble team format. There was some excellent golf Championships. played throughout the day and Bob Hughes must have a very bad back by now as he was carrying our group along all day - cheers Bob! Two members of staff took part in the Fire Championship race; Crew However once in the clubhouse even our score of -3 was not good enough to Manager Eric Campbell, Green Watch win because Kev Grace, Paul Rostance, Andy Kershaw and Billy Bennett also Chester Fire Station came first in the scored -3 but won it on the countback. Well done also to Tam Blair and Nigel MV45 category in a finishing time of Pordes who won the two nearest the pins. We then had a rather large raffle (with 60:59 mins and Caroline Jones from thanks to all of those people and businesses providing prizes), followed by a Corporate Communications superb meal. Many thanks also to Brookfield who gave us the best hospitality. Department at SHQ was first in the We managed to raise in total £552 and with the help of the charity bucket that female category in a finishing time of was in the restaurant at HQ the total raised was £564 which will be handed over 67:59 mins. If anyone would like more to St Lukes Hospice, Winsford who cared so well for Tony and his family. information on the Sports and Welfare Running Section contact Could I thank once again all those that gave up their time and money to play in [email protected] or this annual event and hope to see you all again next year. call 01606 868422