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Month: May 2025

The way Fire Authority meetings are hosted has changed

Posted on by Gregory Mattock-Evans

The way South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority meetings are held has changed.

The Authority’s meetings are now being hosted by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, having been hosted by Barnsley Council for many years.

Public meetings are usually held at the fire service’s headquarters on 197 Eyre Street, Sheffield. Dates, time and locations of all meetings are published in advance of the meetings on a new website here

Public meeting dates, agendas and papers are also now available via the same website.

We also intend to live stream meetings in the future. We’ll be providing details on how you can watch these live, or view a recording, soon.

The website where the Authority’s meetings and agendas used to be hosted will stay live until October 2025 and can be found here: South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority is a statutory body made up of 12 local councillors from the district councils of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

The primary responsibilities of the authority are laid down in legislation, including the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and Local Government Act 1999.

Family issue emollient cream safety plea after much loved grandad dies in house fire

Posted on by Gregory Mattock-Evans

A Mexborough grandad died in a house fire after the clothing he was wearing ignited from a gas heater, a fire service investigation has found.

It is believed that Jim Rownsley (pictured), of Kempton Gardens, Mexborough, Doncaster, may have sadly passed away due to emollient cream residue in his clothes which made them more flammable.

Now, Jim’s family want to warn others about the risks posed by emollient creams, which are used in the treatment for dry skin conditions such as eczema.

They come in many forms (creams, lotions, gels, and sprays) and can be water-based, paraffin-based, or even contain natural oils.

Sherrie-Leigh Higgins, Jim’s granddaughter, said: “You never think something like this is going to happen to your family until it does.

“My grandad always used his gas heater to stay warm but we didn’t know that the cream he used for his legs could be so dangerous.

“These creams, often used for treating skin conditions, can easily soak into clothes if you use them regularly and become a fire risk.

“If someone you love uses these creams, please make sure you and they know how they can keep themselves safe. I don’t want anyone else to go through the same trauma that we did.”

Chris Tyler, Group Manager in South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’s community safety team, said: “As a service, we fully recognise the effectiveness and importance of emollient creams, and we also recognise that they are not flammable on their own.

“However, a build-up of emollient cream residue on fabrics such as bedding, clothing, and dressings can make these already combustible items even more flammable.

“What this means is that in cases where somebody uses these creams on a regular basis and/or spends an extended amount of time in their bed or armchair, their fire risk can increase dramatically.

“Anyone using emollient or skin creams regularly should keep well away from fire, naked flames, or heat sources.

“They shouldn’t smoke and need to be careful near hobs, candles, and heaters.”

Three fire engines attended the incident on Kempton Gardens after a call was received shortly before 1pm on Thursday 20 February.

The fire was out on arrival and an investigation was carried out, which was completed by 6pm.

Advice on how to reduce fire risks when using emollient creams.

Hundreds of care home residents protected thanks to new sprinklers

Posted on by Gregory Mattock-Evans

Almost 200 care home residents are safer from fire thanks to a partnership between South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and Sheffcare.

Sprinkler systems have been installed at three residential care homes in Sheffield – Knowle Hill, Valley Wood and Grange Crescent after match funding was provided through South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’s Stronger Safer Communities Reserve.

The reserve is a Fire Authority scheme which reinvests money into local communities to support our work to prevent major fire emergencies.

The scheme allows charities and community groups across South Yorkshire to deliver work to reduce deaths as well as building and environmental damage caused by fire.

Roger Brason, the Service’s sprinkler advocate, said: “I’m delighted that we have been able to assist Sheffcare in installing sprinklers in these properties.

“Throughout the process, we ensured that we put the needs and the lives of the residents at the care homes first, ensuring that the installation did not disrupt their daily routine.

“Care homes like this perform a vital service and are important hubs within our communities so it’s only right that we give them the highest level of fire protection.”

John Dawson, health and safety manager at Sheffcare said: “Knowing we have fire sprinklers in our homes provides a security of mind we have never had before.

“Without the funding support from SYFR it would be impossible for a not-for-profit charity like Sheffcare to install sprinklers and it is the most effective fire safety control measure we can make.

“The installation went extremely well and we now have safer homes occupied by very vulnerable people.”

Fire sprinklers are best thought of as a continuous combined fire detection and suppression systems. They will detect a fire no matter what time of the day, even if the buildings are empty or occupied. They work automatically and require no input from onsite staff.

They are effective in both domestic/residential and commercial environment and make fires more easily controllable and limit the production of harmful smoke and fumes.

Sprinklers have an enviable record of controlling fires for more than 100 years with a 90% success rate.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue has a lead sprinkler officer who can provide impartial specific advice on request, and can be contacted via email at rbrason@syfire.gov.uk.