InIn AttendanceAttendanceSPRING 2016 THETHE MAGAZINEMAGAZINE OFOF THETHE BRITISHBRITISH FIREFIGHTERFIREFIGHTER Featuring ‘On The Bell’ The Journal Of The Emergency Services IN ATTENDANCE Government announces shake up of Fire & Rescue Services Fire Brigades will be told to cut costs as part of a major shake-up of the way they are run after Home Secretary Theresa May announced she was taking over responsibility for the service. The Home Secretary, who earlier pushed through controversial policing reforms, said she was “determined” to improve efficiency in fire and rescue services. Mrs May said that Fire services have poor procurement, IT systems and buildings management, and indicated she plans to introduce an independent inspectorate as well as order routine performance data to be published. The Home Secretary, who pushed through controversial policing reforms, said she was “determined” to improve efficiency in fire and rescue services. It comes as the government prepares accountability in fire as we now have to give police and crime commissioners in policing. We need to go further still Home Secretary Theresa May (PCC’s) responsibilities for fire and rescue though. I am struck by the fact the authorities where a case is made locally fire and rescue service doesn’t have an But the Fire Brigades Union has following a consultation earlier this year. independent inspectorate and does not criticised the plans for police and crime All three emergency services will also be routinely publish data on performance. commissioners to take over fire authorities. forced to look at ways to work together Local people need these things to hold “Enabling PCCs to govern fire and rescue to improve efficiency, including through their local public services to account. And services will neither deliver economic, sharing administration systems to cut from my experience fire has the same efficient or effective emergency services costs. problems as policing in terms of poor not optimise public safety,” the Union Mrs May said: “I look at the fire and rescue procurement, ICT and management of said in a pamphlet on its website. On service and I see the need for many of buildings.” the contrary, these proposals threaten to the same reforms that I started in policing damage the well-earned trust of the public Mrs May said “I’d like to bring the same in firefighters, hamper innovation and will five years ago. Better local accountability, collaborative approach we’re seeing in more transparency and a relentless focus lead to the fragmentation of emergency policing to fire services too. But, at the services delivery across the UK.” on efficiency. So, while I continue to finish same time, I think fire and rescue services the job of reform in policing, I am also have things to teach the police too. The PCCs “do not bring any skills or determined to properly kick start the job of extraordinary success of fire-fighters exeprtise” to the service and some have reform in fire.” preventative work has hugely reduce the an “unfortunate record for ill-judged The Home Secretary continued: “We’ve number of fires and saved countless lives. interference in operational matters”, it already set out its proposals to allow PCCs I want to police to focus on prevention added. Matt Wrack, General Secretary of to take over fire and rescue authorities to achieve the same results in regard to the FBU, accused PCCs who supported the - this will provide direct, democratic crime.” move of “empire-building”. The firm is in the process of contacting number of units affected consumers, who were warned will be affected, Tumble Drier not to leave their appliances unattended but at this stage, and to clean fluff from the filter after each we cannot fire risk use. In “rare” cases a build-up of lint can speculate regarding come into contact with the dryer’s heating the specific figure. element, which could pose a fire risk, the These products warning manufacturer explained. Customers can were marketed A number of Hotpoint, Indesit and check online if their appliance is among in the UK and a Creda tumble dryer owners have those affected by keying in the model and number of other countries over the past been warned that their appliances serial number on the Indesit website. 11 years, so we would expect a fairly large number of them to be affected.” may pose a fire risk. Two types of A safety warning on the Indesit and tumble dryers, condenser and vented Hotpoint websites said: “In some rare The warning came after an investigation dryers, manufactured by Indesit, cases, excess fluff can come into contact by Whirlpool into dryers sold by Hotpoint were sold under the three brands in with the heating element and present and Indesit between April 2004 and the UK and other countries over the a risk of fire.” An Indesit spokesman September 2015. The US appliance giant last 11 years. told ITV: “We estimate that a significant acquired the Italian firm last year. 2 | IN ATTENDANCE Spring 2016 www.inattendance.co.uk In AttendanceSpring 2016 Avon Fire & Rescue Service THE MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH FIREFIGHTER News from around the Service ..........................................................................4 & 5 North East Emergency Medical Responder Scheme Blue light services join forces to launch scheme .......................................................6 Cleveland Fire Brigade Diploma success for 19 site protection officers ........................................................7 Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service Countdown to new combined Fire & Rescue Service ...............................................8 Featuring ‘On The Bell’ The Journal Of The Emergency Services Precept agreed for new Fire and Rescue Service ...................................................... 8 Front cover: The dramatic view of all floors Fire & Emergency Awards alight at Clandon Park as Surrey FRS crews battle to Excellence in Fire & Emergency Awards Supplier of the Year ....................................9 save the National Trust’s 18th Century Palladian mansion 2016 UKRO Challenge and its irreplaceable contents on 29th April 2015. See Page Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service to host 2016 UKRO Challenge ............................10 14 for an update on plans to rebuild the historic house and West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service the ongoing debate regarding sprinkler systems in heritage West Yorkshire Firefighters tackle massive Bradford mill fire .................................. 11 properties. Photograph: courtesy of Paul Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service Burgman. Hertfordshire remembers largest fire in peacetime Europe .....................................12 Firefighters visit the University of Hertfordshire ......................................................13 Consulting Editor National Trust Clandon Park Palladian Mansion • Neil Wallington 18th Century National Trust house to rise from the ashes ......................................14 Managing Director • Christine Elliott Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Production New tyre strategy pays off..................................................................................... 15 • Sharon Williams Design & Layout London Fire Brigade • Ryan Wilson London’s worst peacetime loss of LFB Firefighters ...........................................16 • Brian Leatherbarrow Dagenham crews move into new fire station .........................................................17 Admin • Jane McCormack Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service • Christine Praxitelous Fire Service helps local paper highlight Halloween costume danger ..................18 All editorial, advertising and circulation Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service enquiries to: Fire service awarded ‘Excellent’ status in equality assessment ..........................19 Gateacre Press Ltd. Tribute to long-serving on-call firefighter ........................................................19 Bilail House 260 Picton Road Report from Dubai Wavertree Another serious Dubai tall tower fire causes concern.......................................20 Liverpool L15 4LP Report from Dubai Civil Defence ....................................................................21 Telephone: 0151 734 3038 Facsimile: 0151 734 2860 Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service Email: [email protected] Help shape the future of your Fire and Rescue Service .....................................22 © The Publishers of ‘In Attendance’ wish to thank Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service all advertisers for supporting the magazine to enable its production for the Fire Brigades and Successful partnership protects residents from fire ..........................................23 Services in Great Britain. However, it must International Tall Building Fire Safety Conference be understood that the space is purchased from the Publishers and not the Fire Brigades Chicago to host the Conference in 2017 ........................................................26 concerned. All Our Yesterdays PHOTOGRAPHS Some classic Dennis Fire Engines of past years ................................................27 Whilst every care is taken to ensure high standards of photographic reproduction in ‘In Attendance’, we regret that we cannot guarantee the reproductive quality of images from non-professional sources. ISSUE No. 21601 4 10 11 AVON FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE Crews test working at height skills elderly gentleman who had fallen over the small fence at the edge of the path and tumbled down the embankment injuring himself. “Watch Manager Hartshorne assumed