South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue
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Fire and rescue staff prepare to take on mammoth 170 mile charity swim

Staff from South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue will be swapping fire helmets for swimming caps next week as they prepare to swim the equivalent of the perimeter of South Yorkshire (170 miles) to raise money for two incredible causes – The Fire Fighters Charity and The Royal Life Saving Society.

People from across the organisation, from frontline firefighters to corporate staff, have pledged that they will swim anything from 100 metres to several miles to support the Big SYFR Swim challenge which runs from 22-29 May.

Chief Fire Officer Chris Kirby said: “I’m really looking forward to swimming with my colleagues for such important causes.

“Sadly, people drown in our county every year. When these incidents occur it is incredibly traumatic for the family affected but also their community and our firefighters who attend in such distressing circumstances.

“Every life lost is one too many. That’s why we decided to support the Royal Life Saving Society and the work they do in helping people learn how to swim and enjoy the water safely.

The Royal Life Saving Society UK has a proud history of helping to reducing the number of lives lost to drowning.

Their mission is to be the leader in lifesaving and lifeguarding in the UK and Republic of Ireland, aiming to give everyone the potential to save lives and enjoy water, safely.

“I’m delighted that we are also supporting the Fire Fighters Charity who do such amazing work for firefighters and their families across the UK.”

The Fire Fighters Charity offers specialist, lifelong support for members of the UK fire services community, empowering individuals to live happier and healthier lives.

The charity supports serving fire service personnel and their families as well as those who are retired and provides them with information, advice and support whenever they need it.

You can donate to the Big SYFR Swim here.

Visit our website for more information about how to enjoy water, safely.

Fire service sprinkler plea as national week marked

The fire service is calling for the widespread adoption of sprinklers by businesses, schools and care homes, as it marks a national awareness week.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has tackled 1,065 fires in non-domestic properties over the last three years. The most serious of these incidents can take fire engines several hours to tackle, as well as potentially putting the company involved out of business.

But business fire safety officers say fire sprinklers are the most effective way to suppress or even extinguish a before the fire service can arrive.

Sprinklers save lives and reduce injuries, protect firefighters who attend incidents and reduce the amount of damage to both property and the environment from fire.

Business fire safety manager Amy Jenkinson, said: “A sprinkler system can quickly suppress a fire before it gets out of control. When you consider the huge costs associated with a commercial premise fire such as rebuilding, relocation, loss of equipment, stock and trading, it seems like an obvious move to install a sprinkler system, but many businesses still don’t.”

The fire service, through the National Fire Chief’s Council, is currently campaigning for this threshold under which businesses must legally install sprinklers to be lowered- as well as calling for sprinklers to be installed in care homes and specialised housing, schools and student accommodation.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has already helped pioneer a drive for sprinklers to be installed in residential properties. In 2011, sprinklers were retro-fitted into a block of flats in Gleadless after a grant from the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association. It was the first scheme of its kind in the country.

It has also provided funding to support the installation of sprinklers in high-risk domestic premises- like care homes and refuges- in a bid to protect vulnerable residents using the Fire Authority’s Safer Stronger Communities Reserve (SSCR).

“We’ve already had several success stories as a result of the sprinkler projects we’ve supported in South Yorkshire. In all of these incidents a fire has occurred, but the presence of sprinklers has drastically reduced the amount of damage and potentially saved lives,” said Amy.

Fire Sprinkler Week (15 to 21 May), coordinated nationally by the National Fire Chief’s Council, seeks to raise awareness of the benefits of sprinklers to businesses, high-risk domestic premises and educational establishments.