march 2012 INFORMATIVE The quarterly bulletin of the North Fire and Rescue Service

NEW Partnership ‘Time it right working in babell Working alongside - Don’t set it alight Neighbourhood Wardens to Launching a cooking safely promote fire safety campaign in the Wrexham county crogen cadet challenge Fireworks proceeds Youngsters step up to Local charities benefit from the challengee fireworks display SAFE controlled burning Working in partnership with a specialist officer to help farmers burn safely

www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk Preventing / Protecting / Responding Fireworks proceeds ploughed back into local communities

‘Time it right – Don’t set it alight!’

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service launched a cooking safely campaign in February to target residents Firefighters from and Nigel Sephton of Deeside Fire Station, Peter Edwards, Watch Manager at Mold in the Wrexham county in a bid to reduce the number of kitchen fires that occur in the area. Mold have recently presented said: “On behalf of all at Deeside Fire Station, said: “I would like to thank local charities and organisations Fire Station, I would like to take this everyone involved in organising last Cooking is the cause of over half of all supermarkets in the town on Fridays “Time and time again we attend with money raised from their opportunity to thank everybody who year’s bonfire. It was a real team effort accidental fires in the home in North where Fire and Rescue Service staff are house fires which have started in the annual bonfire and fireworks helped make this year’s display such a with everyone pulling together to produce Wales – and this figure rises to over on hand to provide potentially life saving kitchen – it is so easy to forget your displays. success. an excellent event that was enjoyed by 58% in the Wrexham region, where advice to shoppers. cooking, especially if you are tired, the whole community. there’s the highest number of cooking distracted or have been drinking. But the Simon Smith, Chief Fire Officer, “We’d like to remind everyone to ensure related fires per head of population. Paul Whybro from North Wales Fire and consequences can be devastating. presented representatives from 29 that they always attend an organised “We are proud to be working with the Rescue Service said: charities at Deeside Fire Station in display as this is the safest way to enjoy residents of North Wales to keep them The ‘Time it right – Don’t set it alight!’ “So please take notice of our campaign, December with cheques totalling bonfire night.” as safe as possible, and seeing the campaign will run until April highlighting come along to see us at a supermarket £3,000. money going back into the community the dangers of getting distracted whilst “It is our responsibility to do near you – we’ll provide you with a Gary Brandrick, Senior Operations Manager, makes all the organisation and hard work preparing food as well as the risks everything we can to highlight useful kitchen timer and the chance to A number of local charities such as attended a presentation evening at Mold worthwhile.” involved with leaving your cooking this statistic but when it comes to win a hamper full of luxury items in our Flintshire Deaf Children Society as well Fire Station where £1,000 was presented unattended. changing behaviour to keep safe competition.” as national charities such as Action for to each of the two chosen charities, St – we can only advise and then it Children were amongst those to benefit John’s Ambulance and Shooting Stars at Forgetting to turn off the hob, leaving is up to the individual, to heed our from the event. Wrexham Hospital. food in the microwave for too long, advice. overheating a chip pan, burning the toast, leaving the oven on – all of these can new Partnership working in Babell spell disaster in the kitchen and can lead to serious injury or, even more worryingly, Staff from the Service recently worked alongside Flintshire the loss of life. Neighbourhood Wardens to promote fire safety following a double fatality which occurred at a house fire in Babell in November. Staff from the Corporate Communications Team are out and about talking to A campaign took place in January where officers from both organisations shoppers about how to stay safe in the visited the rural parishes around Holywell to offer a multi agency kitchen and providing free kitchen timers approach by carrying out free home fire safety checks to residents in to encourage people to think safe when the area as well as installing free smoke alarms where necessary. they are cooking and to remember to time their cooking correctly. Seven Neighbourhood Wardens joined staff from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and 76 home fire safety checks were completed during the day.

A high profile advertisement campaign is www.viewcreative.co.uk also part of the camapign on the back of The event was a great success and both organisations are looking at collaborating buses travelling in and around Wrexham, again on future initiates over the coming months. linked to a leafleting campaign in local schools, encouraging people to visit local

// 2 www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk // 3 sharing facilities Gareth Griffiths, Senior Fire Safety Manager, added: “We have had an excellent response to our ‘Call before with North Wales you burn!’ campaign and are pleased to be working in partnership with Nick Crogen and Denbighshire County Council on Police IN NEFYN the latest phase. By joining forces and Cadet Challenge visiting local markets together we will be able to make face to face contact with For the second year running, The landowners to get our messages across. Agreement has been reached on proposals for a new fire station Phoenix Project entered a new team We have also worked with animal food to be built at Nefyn in Gwynedd which will provide a modern base of 14 youngsters in the Crogen suppliers this year and they have allowed for retained firefighters as well as potential facilities for officers Cadet Challenge. us to leave products with our messages from North Wales Police. on them in their stores across North All participants had completed a Wales which has supported our Phoenix course at one of eight The shared investment, worth just under The new fire station at Nefyn will be home campaign. venues across North Wales within the £900,000, will help to standardise the to a crew of 12 retained fire fighters who previous 12 months. However, the future design of retained fire stations live or work within four minutes of the Partnership working to promote “We are urging all landowners event was the first time that they all as well as enhance joint working station as well as to the local policing undertaking controlled burning to performed together as a team. partnerships and help to reduce design team. safe controlled burning notify us by calling our control room on and build costs. 01745 535 805. This will help avoid The Challenge was devised in 2009 Stephen Roberts, Head of Facilities and false alarms and crews being sent out by Major Henry Robertson, who in his Colin Hanks, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Logistics Management, is organising the Firefighters have been working in partnership with a specialist unnecessarily as well as ensuring we are year of office as High Sheriff of Clwyd, explained: “Our fire and rescue service project on behalf of both organisations officer from Denbighshire County Council to help ensure farmers ready to respond in the event of a burn determined that an event bringing already shares a facilities management and explained that setting a template on the undertake their controlled burning in the getting out of control. together cadets from the armed and department as well as an operational in this way will help to make future safest and most effective way possible while helping to protect and emergency services would be put floor in the Joint Communications savings: “We can meet the needs of conserve their landscape. “We are also asking these landowners together to showcase young people Centre in St Asaph, and there are many both emergency services under one to be responsible when it comes to involved in uniformed organisations. Nick Critchley, Moorland Field Officer extinguishing tool available for use on additional examples of successful roof, creating modern facilities which controlled burning. The fires are set in for the Heather and Hillforts Project, local farms. partnership working between the two will help improve the services of both areas where access is extremely difficult The event, held at the Crogen Estate works to care for the natural and emergency services. organisations in the local community.” and water supply is limited. If a fire gets in Corwen, involved cadets from the historic heritage of the Clwydian range Staff from North Wales Fire and Rescue out of control, this can place tremendous Armed and Emergency Services taking and Llandysylio mountains. Service also visited the markets in “This project is seen as an extension of North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority pressure on resources, with firefighters part in a one day challenge consisting Gaerwen, Bryncir and Dolgellau for the this, working together to serve the local Chair Sharon Frobisher said she tied up for a considerable length of of five activities. These activities He joined forces with North Wales Fire second time this season. community as well as being able to save welcomes the development: “The new fire time trying to bring them under control. ranged from river rescues to trailer and Rescue Service for the latest phase on costs, instead of having two separate station has the potential to be a first of a These fires can put homes, livestock and pulls and required cadets to work of the ‘Call before you burn!’ campaign, Nick said: “We work with local farmers stand alone premises. kind showcase facility in North Wales and the lives of crews and residents at risk safely and efficiently as a team to visiting livestock markets across the in the area to help them understand the it will hopefully be received positively by as firefighters are kept from attending overcome the tasks presented. region, to ensure landowners take on best way of undertaking a controlled “The project is part of the fire and the local community.” genuine emergencies.” board some basic safety procedures and burn. Controlled burning is a legitimate rescues service’s three year capital As the team members were notify the fire and rescue service when and successful land management tool programme and North Wales Police will introduced to each other at Bala very conducting their burn. - heather is kept young and vigorous contribute towards the capital cost to Farmers are asked to follow early on the Saturday morning they by controlled burning. If left unburned, reflect the floor area they will occupy at the guidelines below if they are were reminded of the four principles The Heather and Grass Burning Code it eventually grows long and lank, the facility. planning a controlled burn: of teamwork – respect, trust, states that burning is allowed only reducing its nutritional value. However, communication and discipline. between the 1st of October and the uncontrolled fires will often burn too Mike Parkin, Director of Finance and Ensure they have sufficient people 31st of March in upland areas and the fiercely and can set fire to the peat in Resources of North Wales Police, said: and equipment to control the fire The team came second against many 1st of November and the 15th of March which the heather grows. Not only can Check wind direction and ensure teams who had practised together as elsewhere. these fires be very difficult to quench, there is no risk to property, roads and “This project involves a substantial a team for months. but where the peat is burnt, heather and wildlife Many farmers took the opportunity investment on behalf of the fire other seeds are destroyed; plant life is If a fire gets out of control contact towards the end of the period to and rescue service and the police lost and erosion will follow - it will take the fire service immediately giving undertake controlled burning of heather, and as such demonstrates our many years for the ground to recover. details of location and access grass, bracken and gorse on their land. commitment to our staff and to It is illegal to leave a fire the local community.” unattended or to have too few people Nick and staff from the Service visited “By working together with the to control it. Always ensure a fire is Mold, Ruthin and St Asaph markets fire and rescue service we have completely out before you leave it giving away specially designed air the opportunity to connect with a and check next day to ensure it has fresheners branded with the controlled large number of farmers and talk not reignited. burning number and leaflets reminding to them about how we can work landowners how to conduct a safe together to conduct a safe and controlled burn. Nick will also be effective burn.” demonstrating the ‘fire fogger’, a fire

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Youngsters from Cricieth and Pwllheli’s branches of the Brownies visited the fire station in Porthmadog on drill nights over the last few months and were given a tour of the station and a talk about the work of a firefighter.

They carried out these visits in order to obtain their fire safety badge. This badge took six weeks to complete and the youngsters were presented with a certificate by Kevin Tiernan at their local Working in branch. partnership Cadets from the Beaumaris branch of the to promote Brownies visited Beaumaris Fire Station at the end of last year and enjoyed a tour Christmas safety of the station, sat in the appliances, and Raising fire safety awareness met the crew. The Community Safety Team from North Wales Fire and with shoppers Rescue Service attended the Christmas parade in Caernarfon and Llangollen in Fire safety advice was offered in Mary Parry, Chair of Anglesey Crime December. Anglesey and Gwynedd in December as Prevention Panel, said: “We were pleased staff from the Service took to the road to be working with our partners yet again for a series of action days. to relay the important crime prevention North Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s and safety messages to residents on Subaru car was present at the event A number of shops in both counties were Anglesey. People can be so busy over on Bridge Street, Llangollen and the used as a location to speak to members Christmas and the events planned, Community Safety Bus went along to of the public whilst they were out doing together with the advice and items the High Street, Caernarfon where staff their Christmas shopping. available free to people who call to see gave away free baubles and battery us, were aimed at helping to protect their operated tea light candles for visitors Staff were assisted by other agencies, property over the festive period.” as well as literature on how to stay safe with members of the Anglesey over the festive period. Neighbourhood Policing Team and the Terry Williams, Community Safety Crime Prevention Panel were also present Manager, said: “We were pleased to be Paul Scott, Community Safety Team to offer advice on crime prevention. part of these events on Anglesey and Manager, said: “We are very pleased Gwynedd. We wanted to ensure that to have been part of these events in The teams visited shops in Holyhead, people were able to enjoy celebrations both Llangollen and Caernarfon. We Amlwch, Llangefni and Menai Bridge in over Christmas but that they were also wanted to ensure that people were able Anglesey and staff from North Wales aware of how to stay safe from fire. We to enjoy celebrations over Christmas Fire and Rescue Service also attended asked people to turn off their Christmas but also be aware of how to stay safe supermarkets in Bangor, Porthmadog, lights when leaving their homes and not Pancake Day Tips from fire. Pwllheli, Caernarfon and Dolgellau in to cook under the influence of alcohol. Gwynedd. from your local firefighters “We gave away battery operated “We gave away battery operated candles candles at the events so that people Police Community Support Officer Adrian at these events for people to use instead Firefighters were busy promoting kitchen safety around Shrove Tuesday in February. could use these instead of real Williams said: of real candles because you get the same candles.” effect but without the danger. People are often distracted when cooking a delicious, warm pancake and fire safety may not be at the forefront of their mind. However, kitchen fires can be devastating, with a very “We wanted to reassure residents Firefighters spoke to over 1,000 people high proportion of fires resulting in injuries. that we live in one of the safest during these safety days and collected areas of the country and through 240 home fire safety check referrals.” Gareth Griffiths, Senior Fire Safety Manager, said: “Making pancakes can be lots of such action days we highlighted fun for the whole family and they certainly can be delicious. However, over 50% of all crime prevention advice in a bid accidental fires in the home start in the kitchen so always take care, especially when to help further ensure that as cooking with hot oil. many residents and visitors to the area enjoy a safe and crime free “When you have finished cooking, make sure that all the appliances are turned off and Christmas as possible.” the cooking area is clear.”

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The Phoenix course has been going from activities that will assist in the integration Ray Swinscoe, a leader on the course, said: strength to strength over the last few of the individuals with their peers and their “I’m not used to meeting people in this way months. communities. but if another opportunity like this came up I’d jump at the chance.” One of the most recent courses was During the week, the students were given sponsored by Wrexham National the opportunity to see the work carried out Stuart Jones, Phoenix Coordinator, said: Association for the Care and Resettlement by North Wales Fire and Rescue Service “I am glad to say that this has been another of Offenders (NARCO). The charity was and were allowed to take part in drills. In great success for this exciting project. originally established in 1966 to help addition, various other outdoor activities ex-offenders resettle and work both with were arranged as well as a visit to the “The aim of the course is to assist the individuals at risk of getting involved control room to see how emergency calls youngsters in becoming more motivated and in crime and with communities to help are received and appliances mobilised. positive about themselves, which in turn has prevent crime. the effect of making them better citizens. One of the youngsters said: The participants on this course are slightly “We are hoping that these young people older than those usually attending a regular “I feel I’ve really benefited from will feel that they have gained something Phoenix programme, with ages ranging from learning about the importance of positive from the Phoenix project and feel 16 to 25. Seven people from Wrexham teamwork, and it has made me that it will be of benefit to them in the County took part in this tailored course think more about safety in my future.” which was held in Mold Fire Station. everyday life. It has helped me understand that all actions have The Phoenix project is a course designed consequences and made me think to assist in redirecting the energy of young about what’s really important.” people towards productive and worthwhile

Bangor firefighters promote National Chip Week

Firefighters across North Wales urged chip lovers to take care when they indulged in one of the nation’s favourite foods during National Chip Week in February.

Sixty two percent of all accidental dwelling fires for North Wales in 2010 - 11 started in the kitchen, but while only 28 accidental fires were sparked by overheated chip pans, the resulting 20 casualties show how dangerous these fires can be.

Leaving a chip pan unattended for any length of time can have disastrous results as the oil can easily overheat and ignite. A simple switch from the pan to the oven or a temperature controlled deep-fat fryer can help prevent the worst.

Dave Evans, Community Safety Manager, said: “The smallest distraction when using a hot chip pan could lead to a fire in a matter of moments. Oven chips are a safer and healthier way to enjoy your favourite, but if you do choose to deep fat fry please don’t leave the pan unattended. If your pan does catch light, don’t throw water over it – get out, stay out and call 999.”

// 8 www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk