Bosses at a South Yorkshire beauty spot have praised a police and fire service led youth programme for its impact on transforming one of the county’s best loved green spaces.

Young people aged 16 to 25 who took part in the Princes Trust Team Programme at Dearne fire station earlier this year cleared rubbish, reinforced lakeside banks and created a nature trail as part of efforts to improve Manvers Lake.

Their efforts have won praise from Manvers Lake & Dearne Valley Trust, who say the team’s efforts have boosted visitor numbers and renewed LOCAL interest in the site.

Director Ian Rodwell said: “Despite unsettled weather we have had a great summer with more visitors to site than ever before. Many of these visitors come to walk around the lake and admire the views, and enjoy some green space in the heart of South Yorkshire.

“This green space is much better thanks to the work of the Princes Trust Team Programme, who cleared many years accumulation of rubbish from deep in the undergrowth. They also constructed some natural erosion protection from materials on site to protect the lakeside banks from washing away and made a nature trail through a small coppice.

“The team showed commendable effort and determination, with many of them working outdoors for a week in February when it rained almost constantly. A couple of team members wanted some shelter from the rain and they asked me if they could paint the inside of our cafe area, which they started on immediately and stayed late until the job was finished. It really was a pleasure to have a group of young people on site who wanted to make such a difference.

“As well as the long lasting environmental improvements gained by clearing the rubbish and protecting the banks from erosion, a legacy of the project was the formation of the ‘Friends of Manvers Lake’. This is a group of volunteers who communicate via a Facebook group and all want to see the lake and parkland improve.

“When the young people set up the group, within days it gained over 100 members and this number is still growing. We use the group to communicate with people who are not members of our sports clubs, but who have an interest in the lake to let them know what events we have and what is happening on site.”

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and South Yorkshire Police teamed up with the Prince’s Trust to deliver the Team Programme two years ago. During that time around 100 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

South Yorkshire’s fire crews have taken part in a realistic, rope rescue exercise to test their response in the event of a major height rescue incident.

The exercise was simulated to test the emergency planning and training procedures in place at Tween Bridge Wind Farm in Doncaster. It specifically focused on dealing with emergency scenarios in which a casualty is suspended at height.

The first scenario of the day involved the complex rescue of a casualty who was suspended 25 metres up a turbine on a ladder. The second scenario involved crews lowering a casualty from the top of an 80 metre turbine using a stretcher. Crews from Thorne and Dearne fire stations worked together to successfully carry out each rope rescue.

The site manager from Tween Bridge, alongside two maintenance operators and two external rope rescue instructors were also involved in the exercise.

Darren Robertson, 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. Rescues from height can be extremely complex, which is what makes training like this so important. Both scenarios were successfully completed and generated a great deal of operational learning.”

Richard Couzens, Regional Production Manager at Tween Bridge Wind Farm, said: “Emergency planning and training is of paramount importance not only at E.ON but throughout the wind industry. Even minor injuries can quickly escalate into more challenging situations when you take into account the fact that the casualty is at great height above ground level and in need of assistance.

It is only through working with local fire and rescue crews and specialist rope rescue teams that we can increase familiarisation around our working environment. We are incredibly grateful to the local teams for taking time out to join us for the training activity and share their knowledge and experience in this area.”

This recent exercise formed part of an ongoing aim at South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue to continually improve emergency response procedures to incidents that aren’t just fires.

Tween Bridge is one of E.ONs many onshore wind farms across the UK and is home to 22 turbines.

Whilst responding to emergencies and putting out fires will always be a big part of what we do, much more of our time is spent preventing emergencies in the first place. We need people with the right range of skills and attitudes to help us deliver this.

South Yorkshire’s only joint fire and police station has gone operational for the first time.

Firefighters have started attending 999 calls from the station in Maltby, Rotherham after work to modify the existing police station on Byford Road to accommodate fire service vehicles and staff was completed last month. The old fire station on Maltby High Street has now closed.

The project won Government Transformation Funding of £560,000 and means South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue can share running costs, enabling funding to be targeted at frontline services.

The move has shifted fire service resources around a mile closer to the east side of Rotherham, which traditionally accounts for a greater volume of emergency incidents compared to lower risk areas to the east of Maltby.

It will also improve services by making it easier for police and firefighters to share knowledge, skills and expertise when tackling common issues, like anti-social behaviour and road traffic collisions. In a similar way, it will help both organisations to reach the most vulnerable members of the community.

Chief Fire Officer James Courtney said: “This new facility is the first of its kind in South Yorkshire and represents the best possible, physical example of our commitment to work more closely with our emergency service partners. By working alongside each other under one roof, we think the move will benefit both organisations by improving how we work together to solve problems we both face, which can only help to improve the quality of the service we offer to local people.”

Fire Authority Chair Cllr Linda Burgess, said: “The Fire Authority has always been clear that collaboration should be about more than badges on buildings and saving money, with local people at the heart of any of the decisions we make. With this in mind, I am pleased to see the completion of the first joint police and fire station in South Yorkshire- not just as a symbol of the joint work the fire service is leading on with the police, but also because of the benefits I expect it to bring to both organisations and the community itself.”

Chief Superintendent Rob Odell, district commander for Rotherham, said: “I’ve no doubt that this joint venture will help us to provide a more coordinated service to the public, particularly on issues dealt with by both services. This provides us with an excellent opportunity to better share information and to help meet the demands of modern policing, where working alongside our partners is vital in meeting the needs of our communities.”

Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner said: “The joint fire and police station at Maltby offers a number of positive opportunities for the police and fire services to work together and collaborate. This new cost-effective way of working will allow agencies to share information and work more effectively together. The building will help reduce overheads to both organisations at a time when, the taxpayers want to see their money being spent on the safety of South Yorkshire residents and not on buildings and their running costs.”

The Policing & Crime Act 2016 has placed a new, statutory duty on all three emergency services to look at opportunities to work with one another better to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

In South Yorkshire, fire crews already attend hundreds of ‘medical break-ins’ every year, where they gain access to properties where people are thought to be in need of urgent medical attention, but where ambulance service paramedics cannot get to them. This work used to be carried out by the police.

A Local Intervention and Falls Episodes (LIFE) team has been set up in Sheffield which sees fire and police staff visit hundreds of homes in the city to reduce fire risk in properties, improve security and help people who have fallen and contribute to reducing the risk of falls.

Lifewise is an interactive safety centre which is jointly run by the police and fire services and opened in 2011 to deliver education packages to more than 20,000 local people every year.

Work is also underway to improve the way the police and fire services work together in several other areas, including their community safety and prevention work.

Families who have loved ones living with dementia have praised the use of trackers, which allow their relatives and emergency services to follow their movements, should they be reported missing.

The GPS trackers, which are worn on any item of clothing that someone frequently wears or is likely to have with them, have been given to 12 people in Sheffield who have dementia/Alzheimer’s.

Introduced by the Local Intervention and Falls Episodes (LIFE) Team in South Yorkshire, the devices allow emergency services, and families, to trace a person’s movements more easily, as Acting Inspector Gayle Kirby explains.

“Our aim is to support those living with dementia/Alzheimer’s and when someone is reported missing, these trackers allow us to ensure they are found as safely and as quickly as possible so that they can be reunited with their loved ones.

“I hope that this offers some comfort to those families who have loved ones living with dementia/Alzheimer’s that with the trackers, we are in a much better position to ensure their wellbeing as soon as possible.”

Dena Berry, from Sheffield, whose mum has dementia and was last reported missing earlier this month, said that the tracker had given her family ‘peace of mind.’

She said: “I don’t know what I’d do without it. It’s very simple to use, very accurate and all the family can be connected and monitor it at once, ensuring quick responses which will ultimately save police time. It has given the family peace of mind.”

Recently, Dena’s mum went missing and immediately her dad was alerted through the tracker. Dena was then able to track her, find her and bring her home before police needed to be called.

The LIFE team, made up of staff from South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, began trialling the devices in May earlier this year and are really pleased with the success they’ve had so far.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Area Manager Steve Helps, said: “This is yet another example of how the LIFE team is working together to produce meaningful outcomes for some of the most vulnerable people in society.

“We know that there are huge links between the people who need the help of the police and health services for reasons such as dementia, and those who are at risk of fire. So collaborative working such as this undoubtedly benefits our public safety work as well.”

A/Insp Kirby added: “I’m delighted that this new initiative has been successful in Sheffield, improving the quality of lives for those affected and their loved ones.

“The tracker not only alerts the user to whether the missing person is walking or using transport, but also whether they could be in distress or have fallen.

“It’s easy to use and can be used from someone’s mobile phone. I hope that it offers families reassurance that with these trackers we can find people more quickly.

““I’m really proud of the LIFE team, who have worked incredibly hard to bring this initiative to the city. Following the success of the trackers in Sheffield, our hope is that we will be able to obtain funding so that we can help more vulnerable people within the community and to help their families.”

Firefighters have been given a unique chance to put their expert skills to the test at a flame-filled live training exercise in Barnsley.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue crews were able to stage the realistic scenario thanks to Barnsley Council and Berneslai Homes, who made soon-to-be-demolished properties on Baden Street in the town available for live fire and rescue training.

The scenario involved a fire being set in one of the properties and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entering the property to rescue casualties and put out the blaze.

The burns are being carried out in a safe, controlled way with every effort made to minimise disruption to local people and the environment. Several more are planned over the coming weeks.

Fire bosses say that as the number of house fires in the country continues to fall, it’s vital that crews are trained in the most authentic conditions possible so that they are ready to respond to the best of their ability should real incidents occur.

Station Manager Chris Mee, said: “This project is designed to improve operational effectiveness, firefighter safety and public safety. As the number of house fires in South Yorkshire continues to reduce, our crews are exposed to less incidents making it even more important that the training we offer them is as realistic and challenging as possible.

“It’s also an example of public agencies working together to deliver better outcomes for local people and we’re really grateful to Barnsley Council and Berneslai Homes for agreeing to facilitate this rare training opportunity.”

Cllr Roy Miller, Cabinet Spokesperson for Place said: “We are delighted South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue have been able to carry out this project to help train their crews. The safety of Barnsley’s residents is of utmost importance to us and we are always looking for opportunities to work together with partners to achieve this.”

Berneslai Homes Director of Assets, Regeneration and Construction, Stephen Davis said: “We are pleased to be co-operating with this project with the fire service for the benefit of our tenants and residents and their safety.”

A retired South Yorkshire firefighter has been handed a heartwarming trip down memory lane, thanks to green watch at Adwick fire station.

Eric Johnson, aged 83, from Mexborough, visited the station in Doncaster where he served as a firefighter for more than a decade between 1974 and 1985.

Eric, who is living with dementia, retired from the fire service in 1989 having first joined in 1958, also serving at Mexborough and Brampton stations during his career.

The octogenarian was accompanied on the visit by wife Ena, aged 79. He met some of the fire station’s current crew, donned fire kit and tried out a modern hose reel. He was also given a tour of the station and even managed to spot the location where his old bed would have been.

The visit was coordinated by Carole Rowland, a member of South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s award-winning community safety team who met Eric and Ena at a memory cafe in Conisbrough which they regularly attend.

Ena said: “It was an absolutely brilliant day and Carole and the crew at Adwick were so kind to us. Unfortunately, Eric has developed Alzheimers, but nostalgic visits like this really help him to relive his past and it was amazing how much he remembered about his time at Adwick, including the layout of the station and even where he used to sleep.”

Dozens of fire service staff have 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.

South Yorkshire’s fire crews have taken part in a dramatic steam train themed training exercise to test their response to an incident at Heritage railway.

Exercise Thomas was simulated to test the work that the Elsecar Heritage Railway train guard, rail incident officer and other crew members would carry out in the event of a major incident. It specifically focused on the station’s procedures for contacting the emergency services and for dealing with an incident prior to and during the arrival of the fire service.

The exercise involved a car that had crossed the railway line at Elsecar station and had been struck by a moving train.

Two heavy rescue pumps from Tankersley and Adwick stations were involved in the exercise. Crews from Tankersley white watch and Adwick red watch worked together to remove a number of casualties from the train, including a 27 stone training dummy to simulate a bariatric rescue. Personnel from Cudworth station red watch also performed rescues from the car and assisted with the hour long scenario.

A number of trainee forward liaison officers from Barnsley District Council attended the exercise and have requested to be involved in other similar training exercises.

Andrew Littlewood, Trustee at Heritage Railway said: “We are always happy to work in conjunction with our emergency services. We trust that South Yorkshire Fire Service benefitted from the experience.”

Delroy Galloway, station manager at Tankersley fire station, said: “The exercise was a huge success and allowed all those who participated to further understand their roles and responsibilities in the event of a major incident.

“Exercise Thomas formed part of an ongoing aim to continually improve major emergency response procedures and i would like to thank everyone who took part.”

Elsecar Heritage Railway runs steam hauled trains and diesel locomotives for members of the public on a regular basis.