South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue
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Can you fill these boots? Service issues rallying cry to local residents

Residents in Rossington, Stocksbridge, Askern, Penistone and Dearne are being challenged to step up and join their local fire crews, as the county’s fire service launches another on-call firefighter recruitment drive.

New vacancies have arisen at the stations in each of these four towns – with more staff needed to keep the fire engines’ wheels turning and respond to fires, floods, road traffic collisions and other emergency incidents.

Fire officers say there has never been a better time to join the service, with South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue being rated as one of the country’s leading fire and rescue services in its last Government inspection.

“Our message to local people is simple – we need them!” said Station Manager Chris Tyler, who oversees the service’s on-call fire stations.

“On-call firefighters get the same training as wholetime staff, but they don’t work shifts. Instead, they carry a pager and respond from work and home when needed.

“This is one of the most unique jobs in the world as it requires a huge amount of commitment, bravery and determination.

“What we are asking is for people to consider making themselves available to respond to emergencies on top of their existing jobs and personal family commitments.

“It’s a big ask, but it’s also a huge opportunity and an exciting time to join our service. We need incredible people to fill our boots, and we know they are out there somewhere.”

Prospective on-call firefighters are required to live or work within five minutes of their local station, so they are able to get on the fire engine quickly if needed.

Calls can come in at all times of day and night – with existing staff claiming the adrenaline rush that comes with getting a call is one of the best parts of the job.

On-call crews are used right across the country to provide fire cover to more remote areas, with firefighters getting a ‘retainer fee’ for being on stand by, plus an hourly rate on top.

Recently, on-call staff have been involved in battling the flurry of wildfires attended by the service during the July and August heatwaves.

Officers say that without them, the service wouldn’t be able to run.

“We’ve long known how valuable our on-call crews are, but you only have to look at the heatwave we experienced in July to see how important they are.

“Some of our staff finished a day at work, got changed and then got on the fire engine to help deal with the unprecedented demand we faced – on the hottest day of the year.

“Their commitment is incredible and I’d encourage anyone who feels they would like a challenge to get on our website and give us their details. We’ll be in touch.”

You can register your interest in an on-call role with South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue on the service’s website, here.

Smoke alarms and sprinklers combine to save Doncaster resident

The combination of working smoke alarms and retro-fitted sprinklers have prevented a potentially fatal fire in a Doncaster flat.

Firefighters were mobilised to Shaftesbury House, Doncaster, at 1.05am on Thursday 25 August, following a call from a resident.

This resident reports leaving their chip pan on the hob before falling asleep. Whilst asleep, the chip pan overheated and set light.

Working smoke alarms alerted the resident to the fire, prompting them to call 999 for help. At the same time, the sprinkler system activated – fully extinguishing the blaze.

Upon the arrival of fire crews, only some minor smoke logging in the flat remained. Nobody was harmed in the incident and the resident was quickly moved into a nearby flat.

“This is yet another clear example of how sprinklers can save lives and save property,” said Roger Brason, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s lead sprinkler advocate.

“When the sprinklers were installed at Shaftesbury House and other high-rise buildings in Doncaster we said we were delighted, and this is why.

“Had it not been for the sprinkler system, this fire would have spread very quickly and could have caused significant damage to the property and, potentially, seriously hurt the occupant.

“Credit should also go to the working smoke alarms which alerted the resident who was asleep at the time of the fire. Together, these are two amazing devices.”

The sprinkler system in this flat was installed in 2019 as part of a joint initiative between South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, St Leger Homes and Doncaster Council.

This initiative saw all three partner agencies come together to get sprinkler systems retrospectively fitted in all nine high-rise residential buildings across the Doncaster district.

Dave Richmond, Chief Executive of St Leger Homes, said: “This incident shows the effectiveness of the high-rise fire safety measures that we have put in place, and how important sprinkler systems are in safeguarding people and their homes.

“We will be providing help and support to the household affected and we strongly encourage all tenants to be careful about preventing fire in their home.”

Following several national examples showing the value of sprinklers in tower blocks, they are now mandatory in new residential buildings that are 11 or more metres in height.

SYFR celebrate double win at Cutlers Awards

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue staff members are celebrating a double award win at the Cutlers’ Company Police and Fire Service annual awards in recognition of their exemplary service.

The Service’s Sprinkler Advocate, Roger Branson (pictured above), received the Individual Award in recognition for his expertise, dedication and relentless championing of sprinklers which has had a monumental impact in his service, community and sector.

His leading role in the retrofitting of sprinklers in a high-rise block of flats at Callow Mount in Sheffield 12 years ago is now hailed around the world as proof of the relatively low costs of installing sprinklers in tower blocks.

He has since overseen nearly £2 million of grant funding in South Yorkshire to install sprinklers in high-risk homes.

The Building Risk Review team received the Team Award for their incredible work carried out following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

The project required all high rise residential buildings within scope to be inspected and a specific data set be returned to the National Fire Chief’s Council no later than by the end of 2021.

In August 2020, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’s Business Fire Safety Department established a specific team of officers to set up a project group to deal with this task.

This project has generated a huge amount of work for the team – more than 200 buildings were inspected and 520 jobs issued to inspectors.

It was a full team effort, with some of the work issued out to officers within the Business Fire Safety (BFS) department and operational staff on modified duties.

Thanks to the efforts the project was completed well within the required timescale.

The awards were hosted by the Master Cutler, Mr James Tear, and Mistress Cutler, Mrs Jo Tear on Monday 18 July.

Public asked to do their bit ahead of second heatwave

Firefighters across South Yorkshire are urging members of the public to be extra careful over the coming days, following a new extreme heat warning from the Met Office.

The national weather forecaster has also raised the fire severity risk level to ‘exceptional’ for some parts of the country – in addition to its four-day Amber weather warning.

This has prompted South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s fire officers to issue another plea to the public around helping to prevent any more wildfires across the county.

They are asking people to stop having garden bonfires during the period of extreme heat, refrain from taking disposable BBQs out with them and to ensure they don’t leave rubbish – especially glass bottles – lying around.

Specifically, officers are asking people to consider the impact of their behaviour and, ultimately, wildfires, on things like the local landscape and wildlife.

“During periods of intense heat the ground becomes so dry – this means that fires are easier to start and will spread so much quicker,” said Area Manager Matt Gillatt, head of the joint fire and police community safety department.

“Our ask of people is, first and foremost, that they don’t burn rubbish in their garden over the coming days. During a heatwave these small fires can easily get out of hand.

“We’re then asking that, especially this coming weekend, people don’t take disposable BBQs out with them to parks, fields or moorland areas. Whilst we know most people are very responsible, the risk of wildfire is literally as high as it can possibly be right now.

“And then last but not least, please take your litter home with you or put it in the bin. This one may seem random, but glass bottles in particular can magnify the sun’s rays and start fires.

“Ultimately we want people to consider the impact of their actions on not just us, but also on local wildlife. When you’re out in the countryside and in moorland areas, you are in their home, and what starts as a small fire can easily grow bigger and see them displaced.”

This latest plea comes after the service’s control room was inundated with calls late last month on what some people are terming ‘heatwave day’ – where temperatures hit 40 degrees in some parts of the country.

Across the 24 hours of that day – Tuesday 19 July – fire control operators in South Yorkshire took 2,000 direct calls, more than 1,500 of which were in relation to emergency incidents.

The service described the levels of demand as ‘unprecedented’ – with Chief Fire Officer, Chris Kirby, issuing a statement afterwards to thank staff for going above and beyond.

As well as urging people to be careful with things like BBQs and not to have garden bonfires, the service is also asking residents to be vigilant around deliberate fire-setting.

“Lots of the incidents we attended in July were started deliberately, which is really disappointing, but unfortunately not a huge surprise to us.

“Our final ask of the public is that if they know anyone who is intentionally setting fires – which tie up our crews and can put people at serious risk – then they report it to us.”

Residents can share information on arson, anonymously, by calling 0800 169 5558.

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.

Kids talk about firefighting dads in new campaign video

The children of South Yorkshire firefighters have spoken about their ‘kind’, ‘loving’ and ‘brave’ dads in a brand new campaign video from the county’s fire service.

Filmed as part of International Father’s Mental Health Day (IFMHD), the video features five youngsters talking about the things they love about their dads – all of whom are serving firefighters.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) says it has produced the video in a bid to show that, beneath the tough outer shell, every firefighter is a normal and vulnerable human being.

The service is also hoping to highlight and support the messaging around IFMHD – which is that men can also experience postpartum depression and may need support of their own.

“We know that society generally views men as stoic and strong, especially those who work within the fire, police and military services. However, we are still only human, like anyone else,” said Chief Fire Officer, Chris Kirby.

“We want to make it clear to any men working for South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, and in fact all men living across the county, that it is ok to talk if you’re struggling.

“We also wanted to support the messaging given out around Father’s Mental Health Day – which is that even the strongest of men can suffer from conditions such as postnatal depression.

“Whoever you are and whatever you do, don’t suffer in silence. Help is out there.”

The fire service’s backing for this Father’s Day themed campaign comes after years of work to improve the health and wellbeing support offered to firefighters across South Yorkshire.

An employee assistance programme, which offers help on a range of issues from finance to family life, is one of the key systems the service has put in place recently.

Firefighters can then also benefit from a critical incident wellbeing support programme, which involves specially trained members of staff visiting crews that have been involved in potentially upsetting incidents.

These things are offered to staff on top of the service’s existing provision – which includes a full-time occupational health department and an onus on managers to look after their staff.

The service has also supported Andy’s Man Club for many years, and has recently launched a mental health walking group for male emergency service staff – both serving and retired.

The video can be viewed here on the SYFR YouTube channel.

Anybody in need of support or someone to talk to can contact Samaritans on 116 123 – their service is completely free and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Fire Authority names new Assistant Chief Fire Officer

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority (SYFRA) has appointed a new Assistant Chief Fire Officer.

Andy Strelczenie was appointed following a selection process which included a written application, operational assessment and three interviews – including a final one with members of the Fire Authority’s appointments committee.

Andy has worked within the fire and rescue service for 26 years, originally at Hereford and Worcester Fire & Rescue Service before transferring to South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.

He was previously an Area Manager at SYFR and has been our Head of Emergency Response for three years, more recently overseeing Service Development, Business Fire Safety, HMICFRS inspection planning and our work with the National Fire Chief’s Council.

In his new role, Andy will lead on the delivery of South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s service improvement plan and community risk management plans.

Fire Authority Chair Cllr Tony Damms, said: “It’s incredibly important that our fire and rescue service is well led, which is why the selection process for senior roles such as this is so rigorous. The qualities Andy demonstrated during the process will all be needed to drive forward improvement across the organisation, enabling it to provide the best possible service to the communities it serves.”

Andy said: “I am incredibly proud of South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and honoured to be appointed the service Assistant Chief Fire Officer.

“We aspire to become one of the UK’s leading fire and rescue services and I look forward to further supporting that ambition in my new role – working with our fantastic staff to make sensible improvements to the way we deliver our services whilst putting the needs of our communities first.”