South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue
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Chief Fire Officer praises crews after unprecedented heatwave fires

I want to pay tribute to and pass on huge thanks to firefighters, officers and control room staff who dealt with an unprecedented surge in demand for our services yesterday afternoon. Also to the support teams from across the service who helped with vehicle issues and logistics, delivering of supplies to incidents and provided general support.

Their professionalism, dedication and commitment to serving our communities was exemplary and I am so proud of their efforts.

I have worked within the fire and rescue service for almost 24 years and I cannot recall such an unprecedented level of demand, in such difficult conditions. As the surge in calls ramped up yesterday afternoon, our control staff and officers had to prioritise incidents based on risk to life and property. On occasion, we had to leave fires burning that were not affecting life or property to attend other, more serious incidents.

Normally, if we experienced a high demand such as this, we could request support either regionally or nationally- but the difference yesterday was that almost every single fire and rescue service was experiencing the same thing.

If the record breaking temperatures we saw across the UK yesterday are a sign of things to come and we experience days like yesterday more and more, then the whole sector needs to be better equipped to deal with such extreme levels of demand.

Major incident in South Yorkshire stood down

A major incident declared in South Yorkshire has been stood down.

The number of fires being dealt with by emergency services has reduced significantly, but the fire service warns that conditions remain extremely dry and the risk of fire is still very high.

People should avoid burning garden waste, not take BBQs to places like parks and countryside and take all rubbish with them to reduce the risk of fires starting.

Emergency services thank the public for they support they have shown.

Major incident declared due to demand on services from fires

The emergency services working across South Yorkshire have now declared a major incident due to the demand on services from fires across the county.

The fires are being prioritised in relation to risk to life and risk to property. All of the agencies are working closely to bring resources together and minimise risk.

Please avoid calling 999 unless life is at risk.

Service launches new online home safety check system

With a cost of living crisis currently sweeping across the country, South Yorkshire’s fire service has doubled down on its efforts to keep people safe.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue is today, Friday 1 July, launching a new online home safety check service which allows residents to explore whether they are at particular risk of fire.

This home safety assessment system will supplement the virtual home safety check service that fire officers launched last year.

This means that hundreds of thousands of local people are now able to self-assess their fire risk at no personal cost to them.

“We are proud that our community safety and education work has led to a huge reduction in house fires over the last decade, but we know we have to do more. This is especially the case given the current cost of living crisis,” said Area Manager Matt Gillatt, head of community safety.

“This new online tool, along with our virtual safety check system, means that home safety assessments are available for everyone – regardless of your risk level.

“Our ask is for everyone to take five minutes to run through one of these checks. Even if you don’t think you’re at risk, it’s always worth checking and taking on board our advice.

“Unfortunately, our experience shows that fire can hit anywhere, at any time. And it can be physically, emotionally, mentally and financially devastating.

“Finding a few minutes right now could potentially save you a lot of hassle and pain in the future. For you and your family.”

The software for the online home safety check system has been made available to all fire services across the United Kingdom, by the National Fire Chief’s Council.

Senior fire officers hope that the new system will soon be adopted all over the country, leading to a standardised and consistent approach to identifying and logging home safety issues.

When running through the online checks, users will be asked a range of interactive questions about their home, their family and their lifestyle.

They will then be invited to book an in-person visit if they meet the criteria.

The initial online check takes around two minutes to complete, before a decision is made around eligibility. Residents are then invited to provide information around individual rooms.

You can find out more and take a check yourself at www.syfire.gov.uk/safety-advice/request-a-visit.