South Yorkshire’s fire crews have taken part in a realistic water and rope rescue exercise to test their response in the event of a high-risk emergency.

The training exercise involved the rescue of two ‘casualties’ who had climbed onto a structure and were refusing to come down.

Aston Park, Edlington, Rivelin and Cudworth firefighters all took part in the exercise on the River Rother at Woodhouse Mill Regulator on the junction of Retford Road and Furnace Lane in Woodhouse, Sheffield.

Wayne Sutcliffe, station manager at South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, said: “Firefighters respond to a huge range of emergencies, far beyond the house fires and road traffic collisions we are traditionally associated with. Both water rescues and rescues from height can be extremely complex, which is what makes training like this so important. The scenario was successfully completed and generated a great deal of operational learning.”

SYP Alerts is a messaging system developed by South Yorkshire Police, which allows you to receive updates from local neighbourhood police teams.

There are now over 9,000 people signed-up to receive alerts in South Yorkshire and the force is driving an initiative to reach 10k by the end of May.

Being signed-up to SYP Alerts means that you can receive messages by text, email or voice alert about policing matters specifically in your community. You can even choose what type of things you would like to receive messages about by personalising your account once you have signed-up.

If you live in South Yorkshire, you can register quickly and easily at www.sypalerts.co.uk.

A fire station based ‘memory cafe’ which aims to support the growing numbers of people who live with dementia has been launched in Barnsley

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s Cudworth fire station hosts the monthly memory cafe, with support from local dementia support services.

The events, which are held on the third Friday of every month, provide an opportunity for people living with dementia and their carers to meet in a safe, managed environment and to take part in activities to promote mental and physical wellbeing, such as chair based exercises.

The group has become the second fire service backed memory cafe to be launched in South Yorkshire, joining Woodlands Memory Cafe which has been operational at Adwick fire station for more than two years.

Officers believe the project will benefit the fire service by providing a vital link with one of its key target groups in terms of vulnerability to fire.

Area Manager Steve Helps, said: “We have already proven in recent years how the fire service is well placed to play a much wider role in terms of tackling some of the big health challenges our country faces in the future. This latest project is the perfect illustration of that aspiration, where fire service resources are helping to improve the lives of one of the most vulnerable groups in society.”

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue is also a member of the Yorkshire & Humber Dementia Alliance, which is committed to tackling the growing issue of dementia within communities.

Hundreds of its staff have also signed up to become Dementia Friends- a Government backed initiative which teaches people a little bit more about what it’s like to live with dementia, and then turns that understanding into action.

The next session of the memory cafe takes place on Friday 18 May from 10.30am to 12.30am at Cudworth fire station, Tumbling Lane, Barnsley, S71 5RZ. It is open to anyone living with dementia and their carers, or any older people feeling isolated and wanting to make new friends.

Bike mad kids in Doncaster can pedal proficiently thanks to fire station hosted cycle safety sessions.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has teamed up with Doncaster Council to deliver the sessions at Thorne fire station, which proved to be a popular venue for the cycling course.

The fire station’s yard provided a safe environment to carry out the cycling lessons, which aim to increase the road safety knowledge of those who attend.

The ‘Bikeability’ course is facilitated by Pedal Ready Cycle Training and is open to individuals of all ages who are looking to either improve their current cycling ability or learn to ride a bike for the very first time. The course focuses on developing observation and manoeuvrability skills and provides an introduction to the Highway Code for young cyclists. Safety is also a main feature of the course and those who attend receive advice on how to be noticeable when riding on the roads as well as the importance of correctly fitting a cycle helmets.

Station Manager Mike Anthony, who has been working on this project, said: “We are looking to expand the involvement of fire crews in local community projects such as Bikeability. By using our stations for projects like this, we are able to improve safety within our communities and we hope that the sessions at Thorne fire station are to be the first of many.”

Andy Maddox, Business Development Officer for Doncaster Council, said: “We are delighted to support this project as we are keen to encourage more people into cycling more often. This scheme helps to facilitate this. The first session was very well attended and we look forward to a summer presence in Thorne.”

Pedal Ready Cycle provides free cycle training across the Doncaster area as well as Sheffield and Rotherham.  If you’d like to find out more, email admin@pedalready.co.uk or phone 0114 241 2775.

A South Yorkshire woman whose life was transformed by a fire and police led youth programme has met TV talent show stars.

Leanne Blakey aged 21, from Mexborough, has become a Young Ambassador for Prince’s Trust after hailing the impact its 12 week Team Programme has had on her confidence, skills and employment chances.

Leanne has overcome numerous difficulties in her life, including periods of homelessness, enduring difficult relationships and facing mental health problems.

She found out about the Dearne fire station based Prince’s Trust Team Programme through her job centre. She quickly developed her confidence, becoming closer with the other young people on the scheme and eventually felt able to share her story for the first time. Since completing the programme, she has gone on to secure a job as a carer for children and people with learning disabilities.

She told her inspirational story at a fundraising event, prompting a kind-hearted guest to gift their auction prize of a trip to The Voice final in London to Leanne and her friend.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s Prince’s Trust Team Leader John Daley, said: “The first time I met Leanne she was quiet and very reserved. We immediately knew we needed her on our programme and that there was something there that needed to be brought out.

“We knew she had a spark and she would be an integral and important part of the team. Within the first week we saw that she was highly strung, but again this was outweighed by her ability to talk to others and her level of empathy was astounding. Throughout the programme we nurtured and helped Leanne knowing that when she completed the programme she would be in a far better place.

“At the final presentation Leanne reduced the entire audience to tears when addressing them and giving the reasons she came on the programme – how she was suffering with mental health issues due to multiple traumatic life events that happened between the ages of 14 – 19. She talked about her past and she told the audience how the programme had given her the strength to talk about her past and face it.”

“I feel proud to have been a small part of this personal growth and honestly believe that without this programme and the work the Prince’s Trust is doing, Leanne would have been lost in the system. She is now a beacon to other young people who have been through the same traumas as her. Young people can see there is hope and there are people who are willing to help.”

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and South Yorkshire Police teamed up with the Prince’s Trust to deliver the Team Programme more than two years ago. During that time around 150 young people have benefited from the 12 week personal development course for unemployed 16 – 25 year olds, offering work experience, qualifications, practical skills, community projects and a residential week.

The courses are based at fire stations and are the only programmes of their type in the country to be jointly delivered by fire and police services. For more information or to sign-up, email princestrust@syfire.gov.uk

An off-duty South Yorkshire firefighter who helped to save the life of a football fan has been awarded a top fire service honour.

Caz Whiteman, a South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) firefighter currently based on green watch at Rotherham fire station, was in the crowd for the match at Leicester’s Champions League clash against Sevilla at King Power Stadium last year when a fellow spectator collapsed with a suspected heart attack.

Caz, who was sat nearby, immediately rushed to support pitch side first aiders and deliver cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for more than 15 minutes until he was taken to hospital by ambulance. The man, Jim Blockley, has since made a full recovery.

Now Caz has been presented with a Chief Fire Officer’s Commendation – the highest SYFR award – for displaying quick thinking and bravery to save a member of the public’s life whilst off duty. She was presented with her certificate at a formal ceremony in front of fire crews, family and friends.

Caz said at the time: “My seats were just three rows from the front of the pitch and just as the teams were starting to come out for the second half, I noticed that a spectator was in difficulty. I came down to the front of the pitch to see what I could do to help and it became clear he had suffered a heart attack and gone into cardiac arrest. Along with the pitch side medics, I cleared his airway and immediately performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compressions.

“This is where the skills I’ve picked up from my day job really came into their own. Firefighters already have the skills and knowledge to provide effective first responder care in emergency situations, particularly at incidents were we may arrive on scene before paramedics. My actions were a natural, instinctive reaction to the situation in front of me. Anyone with the right skills and training would have done the same thing. I’m just so relieved that Jim has made it.”

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Martin Blunden, said: “It’s extremely fitting that Caz’s actions that night have been recognised with the highest honour the fire service can bestow. Her brilliant quick thinking and life saving actions really did go above and beyond the call of duty and highlight that, in some ways, a firefighter is never ‘off duty’.

“It was particularly touching for Jim and his family to attend the commendation event and to hear first hand how overwhelmed they were by what Caz had done for him.”

Fire officers say they will face difficult decisions about how to maintain their 999 response service, if they are unable to continue using a fire station staffing system in place since 2014.

Four of South Yorkshire’s 21 fire stations use a system called ‘Close Proximity Crewing’, which saves around £1.6 million from the service’s annual budget without any affect on 999 response times.

The voluntary system sees firefighters ‘on-call’ while living at the station for up to 4 days a week, in exchange for a 29% pay increase.

Crew members are provided with accommodation and recreational facilities, and are allowed family visitors during stand-down time.

The same system, or variants of it, are also used by around a quarter of other fire and rescue services, but reference to the system in South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s Integrated Risk Management Plan, published in April 2017, has been challenged by the Fire Brigade’s Union.

The dispute centres on CPCs non-compliance with working time regulations, despite the Health & Safety Executive noting that other shift patterns which CPC has replaced also do not comply- including a system known as ‘2-2-4’ which is the most commonly used crewing system in place at fire stations in the UK.

A legal judgement on whether CPC can remain in SYFR’s plans has been postponed until the end of April.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Martin Blunden, said: “The most recent plans, which were approved by the Fire Authority in 2017, reaffirm the commitment we have repeatedly made since the beginning of austerity in 2010, to provide the best possible service to the people of South Yorkshire within the resources which are available to us.

“For us, CPC remains part of fulfilling that vision and a move away from the system would require us to make other changes to our 999 service which will inevitably impact on our emergency response.”

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has lost a quarter of its Government funding since 2010. Its fire stations at Lowedges, Tankersley, Edlington and Aston Park currently use Close Proximity Crewing.