The fire service is launching a new road safety package geared towards educating Year 10 students across South Yorkshire about how to keep safe on the roads. 

The ‘H16HWAY’ package has been developed by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, with support from the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership, and aims to provide young people with the tools and advice they need to keep safe on the roads as pedestrians, cyclists, scooter riders and passengers.  

Head of prevention and protection Steve Helps, said: “Every death on our roads is a tragedy, but it is even more keenly felt when it is a young person who loses their life. Young people are over represented in our casualty statistics when it comes to road traffic collisions, therefore it’s important they receive reminders about the safe use of our roads to prevent them from becoming victims.”  

Joanne Wehrle, Safer Roads Manager at South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership, said: “Unfortunately, there have been a total of 1522 children and young people between the ages 10 to 16 reported as injured over the last 5 years (2013-2017) on South Yorkshire roads. Of this number, 275 of them, tragically, were either killed or seriously injured as a pedestrian, passenger in a car or as the rider of a motorcycle. 

“We support packages like H16HWAY in helping us to deliver key road safety information and advice to young people in a bid to encourage safer behaviours.” 

The new package is to be delivered by Fire Community Safety Officers and will involve film clips and group discussions. Each session will last for approximately one hour and the package is free of charge.  

The service is looking to deliver the first sessions in schools around South Yorkshire from September 2018. 

As one of the single biggest killers of young people, ‘H16HWAY’ will focus on a number of road safety topics: 

•         Pedestrians – Distractions, risky behaviour and finding safe places to cross the road

•         Cyclists – Undertaking long vehicles, blind spots, hi-vis items and bike maintenance

•         Scooter riders – Wearing the appropriate gear and minimising the risk of road rash

•         Passengers – Wearing seatbelts, the risks of driver distractions and what to do if you feel unsafe in a vehicle

•         What to do in an emergency situation 

Any schools requiring further information about the “H16HWAY” package or to book a session, please contact South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue education advocate Julie Claytor on 07990 951643 / jclaytor@syfire.gov.uk or Community Safety Co-ordinator Claire Walsh 0776841802 cwalsh@syfire.gov.uk.

South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue has expanded its already successful collaboration programme, after appointing a Head of Joint Vehicle Fleet Management to maximise efficiency and effectiveness of both organisation’s fleet operations.

Sarah Gilding was appointed in to the role on 4 June 2018, after working for South Yorkshire Police for over 25 years. Her appointment marks a huge step forward towards the organisations’ objective of integrating fleet services under a single management and support structure, and exploring opportunities for further collaboration.

As part of her new role, Sarah will lead and develop a cost effective, efficient and resilient fleet management service for both South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. She will also provide strategic oversight and management of all aspect of both organisations’ fleet services to help progress the objectives of both services.

Sarah said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as the Head of the Joint Vehicle Fleet Management Department for both South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and South Yorkshire Police.  Both organisations’ Fleet departments provide an invaluable support service to ensure our key resources are available to meet demand and I am proud to have been chosen to lead such a service.”

Prior to Sarah’s appointment, both organisations were operating separate fleet departments with similar administrative and management roles, which were identified to be best managed through a joint centralised team.

The successful collaborative programme between South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue was launched in early 2017, to build on existing activities undertaken in collaboration between both organisations. The programme has already led to the creation of a Joint Police and Fire Station in Maltby, Rotherham, the development of a Joint Community Safety Department and the appointment of a Head of Joint Estates and Facilities Management.

A former apprentice turned fire service employee has hailed the strength of the organisation’s apprenticeship scheme after it helped build her skills and experience to land a full time role.

In April 2016, Ellie Bolton became an apprentice in the Business Fire Safety department at South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR), assisting and supporting Fire Safety Inspecting Officers, Ellie soon became a valued member of the team.  It was here that she gained the skills and experience required to further her career in the Fire Service.

Two years later as the apprenticeship was coming to an end, a full time vacancy became available in the Data Management section and her drive and determination spurred her on to apply for the post of Data Administrator.  Ellie was successful and became a member of staff in March 2018.

Ellie said; “Without the apprenticeship I would not have developed the skills and confidence that secured me this role. The apprenticeship has changed my life and has benefited me in many ways and I would recommend it to anyone.”

Amy Jenkinson, Business Fire Safety Manager at SYFR said; “Ellie is a fantastic example of how apprenticeships can help individuals further their careers. Ellie has gone from strength to strength and the knowledge and skills she acquired during her time as an apprentice was a large factor in her gaining employment within the service.  We are all really proud of her and wish her all the best in her future career.”

Any future apprenticeship opportunities will be advertised on the jobs page of our website.

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

The exercise took place at the Fly DSA Arena in Sheffield with 10 fire crews from Parkway, Elm Lane, Central, Rotherham, Birley Moor, Tankersley and Thorne fire stations last week.  It tested South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s operational response to a chemical incident.

The scenario involved a number of people being exposed to a chemical. The exercise included around 40 volunteers from the fire and police service’s Prince’s Trust Team Programme and students from the public services course at Barnsley College who all acted as casualties.

Station Manager Nicholas Abbott, said: “Our firefighters are ready to respond to a huge number of different incident types, from fires to road traffic collisions. We issue lots of guidance to our crews about the different sorts of scenarios they might come across in the line of duty, but really the best way of preparing our response is to test it out for real.

“We’re extremely grateful to Fly DSA Arena for making the exercise as realistic as possible and providing some vital technical input on the day.

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.

The fire service has issued a fire safety warning of the dangers of over-heating wheat bags, following an inquest into the death of a man in his 70’s at his home in Rotherham.

Firefighters from Doncaster and Maltby were called to the incident on Glaisdale Close at 12:01pm on Sunday 12 November. Upon arrival at this incident, it was apparent that there had been a slow burning fire which was already extinguished when fire crews arrived. Firefighters gained access to the property via the front door and discovered the body in the front room of the bungalow.

Fire investigators found a wheat bag that had been overheated to have been the cause of the fire.

The coroner, Louise Slater recorded a verdict of accidental death at yesterday’s inquest.

Station Manager Simon Rodgers, who investigated the cause of the fire, said: “No one deserves to die in these circumstances and ultimately any house fire death is preventable, regardless of any other factors which may have contributed to that person’s death.

“To ensure that microwavable heat bags are used safely, users should always ensure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions, as these bags can become too hot if heated for longer than recommended.

“We want to again call on our partners in the health, housing and social care sectors to do more to help us identify those who are most at risk of fire, so that we can put extra measures in place to help prevent fatal fires.”

Safety advice for preventing fires caused by wheat bags includes:

• Only purchase a wheat bag that comes with clear manufacturer instructions
• Always follow manufacturer’s instructions and never heat the bag for longer than recommended
• If you know an elderly person who uses a wheat bag, explain the manufacturer’s instructions to them
• Leave wheat bags to cool in a safe area and don’t use one in a confined space such as under bedding

Adwick fire station is to play host to a series of Stop Smoking Services to help Doncaster residents quit the habit.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) is working in partnership with South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust, to provide a meeting group once a week at Adwick station to help support residents who feel that the time has come to take that step to a healthier lifestyle.

The Stop Smoking sessions offer a wide range of support which is able to aid all sorts of smokers, even those who have been smoking for long periods of time and may think that they wouldn’t be able to give up. Smokers who seek help have a much greater chance of success than those who do not.

The sessions. take place every Tuesday evening from 5:30pm to 8pm. If you would like to attend the next Stop Smoking group at Adwick fire station, please call 0800 612 0011 (free on landline) or 0330 660 1166 (free on mobile).

Steve Helps, Head of Prevention and Protection at SYFR said; “Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable disease and premature deaths in the UK. It is also a major cause of accidental death, injury and property damage from house fires attributed to smoking in the UK every year. This initiative is a positive step towards keeping the people of South Yorkshire healthier and safer in their own homes.”

Mark Falcomer at South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said; “Yorkshire Smokefree provides expert NHS advice and support for anyone who wants to stop smoking. So when you’re ready to quit, we’re ready to help. Our friendly experts will help you find the best way to quit and provide support throughout your journey, so you’re smoke-free in no time.

“We offer a range of resources to suit your needs and ensure you’re smoke-free as soon as possible.

“You are five times more likely to quit smoking with products and support which are available for free with Yorkshire Smokefree Doncaster. Products include patches, gum, lozenges inhalator, mouth spray and champix.”

SYFR is one of the signatories of the Yorkshire and Humber Emergency Services Prevention and Early Intervention Consensus Statement, which has been co-ordinated by Public Health England.

With demand for health and social care rising, the main focus of the agreement is for emergency services to use their joint intelligence, skills and resources to support communities with ill-health prevention and early intervention where problems are identified.

This includes greater sharing and development of referral pathways into key services such as falls prevention and support for mental health, alcohol and drug problems, advice to keep homes warm and social support to combat loneliness and isolation.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) has teamed up with NHS Blood and Transplant to provide venues for local communities to attend blood donation sessions.

The first session took place at Doncaster fire station last week which proved to be a popular venue for the lifesaving sessions.

The fire station’s appliance bay was temporarily adapted while the sessions took place, with health screening areas and a number of beds in place so that NHS Blood and Transplant staff could welcome donors and perform blood donation procedures. The fire engines were parked on a different part of the site during the session but the crew was still available to attend incidents as usual.

Station Manager Claire Duke, who has been working on this project, said: “We hope that the sessions at Doncaster station will be the first of many we can provide for the NHS Blood and Transplant who are always on the lookout for new venues across the county. We are already planning more sessions at other fire stations in South Yorkshire in the near future.”

Chief Nurse and Assistant Director of Blood Donation Jane Green emphasised the value of the project: “We are extremely grateful to South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue for allowing us to use their Fire Stations for blood donation sessions free of charge. This initiative goes a long way to reduce our venue hire cost which in turn means that we can continue providing blood products to hospitals at sustainable cost. Fire Stations are also at the heart of the communities and easily accessible for our donors which enhances their donation experience.”

A number of future sessions are planned at Doncaster fire station on:

17 April 2018
10 July 2018
03 August 2018

All will run from 11am – 7:30pm

If you are interested in attending one of these sessions please register and book your appointment by visiting www.blood.co.uk website or alternatively call 0300 123 2323.

Firefighters across South Yorkshire will be washing cars throughout March as part of a national charity event.

The event is aimed at raising money for The Fire Fighter’s Charity, which supports injured firefighters and their families.

As well as washing cars, firefighters will also be on hand to offer road and fire safety advice.

A number of South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s fire stations are taking part in the annual event as listed below:

• Lowedges station – Saturday 24 March 10am-1pm (Lowedges Road, Sheffield, S8 7JN)
• Adwick station – Saturday 24 March 2pm-6pm (Quarry Lane, Woodlands, Doncaster, DN6 7RT)
• Tankersley station – Saturday 24 March 10am onwards (Maple Road, Wentworth Industrial Estate, Barnsley, S75 3DL)
• Penistone station – Saturday 24 March 10am onwards (Sheffield Road, Penistone, Barnsley, S36 6HN)
• Rivelin station – Saturday 31 March 12 – 5pm (Rivelin Valley Road, Sheffield, S6 5FE)
• Aston station – Saturday 31 March 10am onwards (Worksop Road, Aston, Rotherham, S26 2FZ)
• Dearne station – Saturday 31 March 12pm onwards (Manvers Way, Rotherham, S63 5DN)
• Rotherham station – Saturday 31 March 10am – 4pm (Fitzwilliam Road, Eastwood, Rotherham, S65 1ST)

Dearne fire station had a very special visit last week when His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales met with young people on the Prince’s Trust Team Programme.

As part of the visit, His Royal Highness, President of the Prince’s Trust met with young people, took part in a discussion group with former course members and witnessed a role play scenario carried out by Team members with the help of fire station staff.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) and South Yorkshire Police (SYP) teamed up to deliver the Prince’s Trust Team Programme. It is a 12 week personal development course for unemployed 16 – 25 year olds, offering work experience, qualifications, practical skills, community projects and a residential week.

The event was also attended by local dignitaries and friends and family of the young people.

SYFR Station Manager Spencer Rowland said; “It was a great honour to welcome The Prince of Wales to Dearne fire station and to be given the chance for the young people to demonstrate how far they have come on the Team Programme. It will be a day the young people cherish for the rest of their lives.”

Would you like to be part of the next Team Programme?  We are recruiting for the members of the Rotherham Barnsley and Sheffield programmes, to be part of the Team or for further details contact John Daley on 07769 887249 or princestrust@syfire.gov.uk.