The staffing of the second fire engine at Rotherham fire station will change next month, as one of the final changes approved by councillors four years ago is implemented.

The second fire engine at the site on Fitzwilliam Road will remain permanently available in the day, but become ‘on call’ at night by the end of March.

The decision to make the change was approved by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s governing Fire Authority in 2013.

It was reaffirmed in an efficiency plan approved by the Government last year, where the service outlined proposals to make more of its fire engines available in the daytime when firefighters are busiest responding to emergencies, carrying out safety work or training.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Martin Blunden, said: “We have faced big cuts to our funding, but have repeatedly committed to providing the best possible service to the people of South Yorkshire within the resources which are available to us.

 “This change is one of the last changes agreed four years ago. The second fire engine is not being taken away, but will become ‘on call’ at night and, as with all our fire stations, our 999 response service will continue to be supported by crews from other, nearby stations.

“We will soon be talking to the public about how we plan to deliver our services beyond 2017 and will look forward to listening to their views on how we plan to develop our work to keep people safe.”

The fire service has lost £14 million in its Government funding since 2010 and is likely to lose a further £2 million between now and 2020.

Changes to the second fire engines at Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster fire stations were approved in something called an Integrated Risk Management Plan (2013-17), following consultation with the public and other stakeholders.

A similar, draft plan for how the fire service will deliver its service to local people beyond 2017 will be considered by Fire Authority members in February before members of the public are invited to share their views.

The plans to be presented will not propose any further reductions in fire station or fire engine numbers, but will consider changes to the fire service’s work to prevent emergencies and a new legal duty to collaborate with the police and ambulance services. The fire service will also commit to using its existing resources as effectively and as efficiently as possible.

Members of the public are being invited to have their say on what the South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) council tax precept should be for 2017-18. The aim of the consultation is to gain an understanding as to the public’s preferred level of the precept- 1.97% or no increase.

Current indications are that SYFR will lose around £2 million in its Government funding in 2017/18, when compared with 2016/17.

Householders in Band D currently pay £67.33 per year for their Fire and Rescue Service, around £1.29 per week. The decision to increase council tax would raise around £441,000 in annual funding for the fire service.

Fire Authority Members will make their decision on Council Tax at the fire and rescue authority meeting on Monday 13 February.

To share your views, please fill in the short survey below. The survey closes on 31 January.

Fire officers are calling on South Yorkshire’s housing providers to install sprinklers to help protect vulnerable residents from fire.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) attends dozens of serious house fires every year in social housing and sheltered accommodation.

To help tackle the problem and increase the number of sprinkler systems fitted across the county, the fire service has announced a  £1 million fund to encourage more housing providers to install them in buildings lived in by those residents most at risk from fire.

Dozens of delegates attended an event in Sheffield this week which launched the fund and explained to businesses, charities and social housing landlords the benefits of this potentially lifesaving fire safety equipment.

Head of prevention and protection Steve Helps, said: “Sprinklers are a cost effective way of making homes safer – they stop fires from spreading, put them out quickly and save lives. We are especially concerned about those people who are most at risk of fire such as those with mobility or mental health problems or people with dementia who may not know how to react, or be able to react quickly enough, if they hear a smoke alarm.

“We play a key leadership role in helping people to better understand the benefits of sprinklers as part our commitment to reduce the impact of fire on people, property and the environment and this funding is the best possible evidence of our commitment to that goal.”

SYFR is one of the leading fire services in the country for its pioneering use of sprinklers in high risk residential settings, leading a UK first project to retrofit an automated system at the Callow Mount block of flats in Gleadless. That scheme is now internationally recognised for the improved safety it offers the people living within the building.

It has also worked alongside Sheffield City Council to make more than 540 properties in the city safer by installing lifesaving sprinkler systems at council owned flats in Gleadless Valley, Westfield, Stannington and Netherthorpe. This project was another UK first.

The installation of sprinkler systems in new build homes is now mandatory in Wales and SYFR is actively promoting the use of this type of protection in all types of buildings to build resilience and safety into local communities.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority’s sprinkler fund is open to any social  or private housing provider. It will part fund those projects which demonstrate the best value and innovation in protecting the most vulnerable people possible from fire.  It forms part of the Stronger Safer Communities Reserve, with money set aside from the Authority’s reserves.

The funding application form can be downloaded here. The deadline for applications is 10 March.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue is warning businesses to be aware of a scam in which rogue publishers are offering advertising space in a publication they claim they are producing on behalf of the fire service.

The rogue publishers make unsolicited telephone calls to businesses, in particular small businesses, doctors’ surgeries and dental practices offering advertising space in a magazine they claim is produced by the fire service.

The cost of the ‘advert’ can range from £50 to anything up to £1000. However, once you have paid you’ll find the publication either doesn’t exist or only a handful of copies are printed. Generally, if the call is bogus, the caller will only provide a PO box address and the phone number will be blocked.

If you receive an unsolicited call from a publishing company:

• Don’t agree to anything until you are given full details of the publishing company and what you will get for your money
• Ask to see terms and conditions before agreeing anything
• Read all small print of any contract carefully
• Establish how many copies are being published, where they will be distributed and how, and where can you get hold of a copy
• If you are told that someone from your company has already verbally agreed to place an advert get full details of who and when, and check with the member of staff before agreeing anything further
• Ask which other companies in your area have taken advertising space and contact them to see if the caller is genuine
• If you receive a demand for payment, which could be over the phone or via an ‘invoice’ respond to the demand stating why you do not owe any money

Businesses which may have been contacted in this way should report any details they may have to Action Fraud.