Shining a light on an evening that almost spelled disaster for Sheffield is the focus of a new video released by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.

The video titled “The day Sheffield nearly blew up”, is a conversation between Chief Fire Officer Chris Kirby and retired firefighter Arther Levick.

During a wide-ranging conversation that touches on the Cuban Missile Crisis, how firefighting has changed since the 1960s and the shadow of the Second World War, the video culminates in Arthur’s recollections of a fire at Effingham Street gas works that almost ended in disaster in the late 1960s.

Arthur said: “When I received my long service medal from the late HRH the Queen, it said on it that it was for exemplary service, and I can’t think of a greater example than that night at the Effingham Street gasworks. It felt like I really became a firefighter that night.”

Chris Kirby said: “Major disaster was averted by the actions of Arthur, his colleagues and many members of staff at the gas works that night.

“It’s often the case that if there is a major incident that does result in mass fatalities, those are the emergencies that are remembered and memorialised. But there are many occasions in a firefighter’s career where, through their actions, disaster is averted and not remembered. I hope that through this interview we can change that for Arthur and his colleagues.”

It is the latest episode in a series of videos called Fire Stories, published to give the public a unique insight into South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.

The most recent episode, released to coincide with the service’s 50th year, featured a conversation between the current Chief Fire Officer, Chris Kirby and former Chief Harry Wright.

All videos are available to watch on YouTube.

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.

We have a number of station open days, events and car washes planned this year.

Below is a list of all the current stations holding an event.

Station Open Days

Lowedges station – Lowedges Road, Sheffield, S8 7JN – Saturday, 28 June 2025 between 11am and 3pm

Rotherham station – Fitzwilliam Road, Eastwood, Rotherham, S65 1ST – Saturday 12 July 2025 between 10am and 4pm

Aston Park Station – Worksop Road, Aston S26 2FZ  – Saturday 13 September 2025 between 11am and 3pm

Car Washes

There are currently no car washes planned.

All charity car washes are in aid of The Fire Fighters Charity.

Events

Biker Down sessions – Dearne station, Manvers Way, Rotherham, S63 5DN.

The new sessions will take place from 6.30pm to 9.30pm at Dearne Fire Station on:

· 22nd May
· 26th June
· 24th July
· 21st August
· 25th September

Places are limited so please email bikerdown@syfire.gov.uk to secure your place.

Giving motorcyclists the skills to ride safely is the aim of a relaunched training course delivered by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue (SYFR).

Almost 200 powered-two-wheeler riders were injured in a collision on South Yorkshire roads in 2023, 100 of those crashes were serious or fatal.

The free Biker Down! programme offers motorcyclists of all ages the chance to learn practical skills to help avoid being involved in a collision, as well as essential first-aid training and advice on what to do should they find themselves first on the scene where someone is injured.

The session is based on the hugely successful initiative originally devised by Kent Fire & Rescue Service and is being delivered as part of the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership’s (SYSRP) Vision Zero work.

Chris Tyler, Group Manager at SYFR said: “If you were the first on the scene of a collision involving a biker, would you know what to do?

“By equipping motorcyclists with the skills and knowledge they need to ride safely, we hope it will help us to reach our shared long-term ambition of ending all death and serious injury on South Yorkshire’s roads.”

The session is both classroom and practical based, giving riders who are first on the scene the awareness of how to manage the area for everyone’s safety, and provide basic first-aid skills if needed. While themed around a collision involving a rider, the skills and knowledge are equally as useful if you come across any vehicle collision whether four, three or two-wheeled. For example, as a rider you are more likely to filter through stationary traffic and be confronted with a collision as the reason for the build-up or come across an incident on remote country roads.

The new sessions will take place from 6.30pm to 9.30pm at Dearne Fire Station. Places are limited so please email bikerdown@syfire.gov.uk to secure your place.

Full list of dates for Biker Down sessions:

· 24th April
· 22nd May
· 26th June
· 24th July
· 21st August
· 25th September

Plans have been submitted for a major refurbishment of a long-standing Sheffield fire station.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue wants to take Elm Lane fire station ‘back to brick’ to create a safe, modern and sustainable building for firefighters.

The service had originally intended to build a brand new fire station on the same site, but soaring construction costs made this unachievable.

Instead the refurbishment will change the layout of the station, creating new training and rest areas.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Simon Dunker, said: “We’re committed to providing our firefighters with the best possible buildings, vehicles and equipment with which to serve their communities. Whilst rebuilding the station entirely proved unaffordable, these plans will still achieve our aim of creating a safe and energy efficient building for our crews for many years to come.”

Elm Lane Fire Station in Sheffield has an interesting history. It was initially transferred from the National Fire Service after World War Two and was originally housed in a converted wartime building.

The station later became part of the South Yorkshire County Fire Service when it was formed in 1974, following the amalgamation of several local brigades. Over the years, it has seen various upgrades and changes.

Before Elm Lane Fire Station was built, the site was home to Cliffe House, a large country house constructed in 1805.

Cliffe House was no longer a private residence by 1934 and was eventually demolished in the late 1950s to make way for the fire station which is currently based on the site.

The station hosts one full time fire engine, crewed by firefighters operating a four watch system.

The fire service’s plans for the next three years have been approved by councillors, after hundreds of people responded to a public consultation.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue had asked residents to have their say on its objectives for the next three years.

The service will remove inefficiency, boost performance and embed an inclusive workplace culture as it strives to become one of the country’s leading fire and rescue services.

A vehicle which is used to respond to small incidents like grass and bin fires will now move from Cudworth to Dearne fire station, after the plans were approved by members of the service’s governing Fire Authority today (17 February)

The proposals were set out in the service’s draft Community Risk Management Plan 2025-2028. Every fire service publishes plans like these to tell local people the steps they will take to make them safer and address risks in their local area.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Simon Dunker, said: “Thank you to everyone who read and gave us feedback on our plans for the next three years. Responding to emergencies efficiently and effectively remains our number one priority as a fire and rescue service. But we also deliver other important work to make local people safer and our Community Risk Management Plan is a way we demonstrate how we combine all our resources to address risks in South Yorkshire.”

Nearly 300 people responded to a consultation on the service’s draft plans, which will now be implemented from 1 April.

South Yorkshire residents have less than a week to feedback on their fire service’s objectives for the next three years.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue says it wants to remove inefficiency, boost performance and embed an inclusive workplace culture as it strives to become one of the country’s leading fire and rescue services.

A change to how it responds to 999 calls would see a vehicle which is used to respond to small incidents like grass and bin fires move from Cudworth to Dearne fire station. The fire service says this would be a better location for the vehicle based on incident data- analysed as part of a full review of all its fire stations and fire engines.

The proposals are set out in the service’s draft Community Risk Management Plan 2025-2028.  Every fire service publishes plans like these to tell local people the steps they will take to make them safer and address risks in their local area.

You can view South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s draft Community Risk Management Plan 2025 to 2028 here.

You can feedback on the plans using the survey here.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Simon Dunker, said: “Responding to emergencies efficiently and effectively remains our number one priority as a fire and rescue service. But we also deliver other important work to make local people safer and our Community Risk Management Plan is a way we demonstrate how we combine all our resources to address risks in South Yorkshire. Now we want local people to feedback on those plans- as well as our other objectives for the next four years.”

The draft plans were considered by the service’s governing Fire & Rescue Authority on Monday 25 November, who approved the service begin consulting with its staff and the public on the proposals. The Fire Authority is made up of 12 members from across South Yorkshire’s four councils.

The consultation will close on 7 February 2025, before the final plans are considered by Fire Authority members on 17 February.

Thousands of people in Rotherham will be safer from fire thanks to a new arrangement between the council and fire service.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and Rotherham Council have signed an agreement which means the addresses of up to 7,000 properties which receive assisted bin collections will be passed onto the fire service so that specialist staff can offer free smoke alarms and advice on stopping blazes to residents.

The council offers assisted bin collections to people with a disability or medical condition which prevents them from putting their bins out on their own. With known links between people receiving assisted collections and risk of fire, the agreement has been put in place so the fire service can contact people living at those addresses to offer them help.

Toni Tranter, Joint Community Safety and Early Intervention Manager at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said: “So many of the people who needlessly die in house fires are known to another agency whether that’s a local authority, social housing provider or health partner. Through collaborations with other public services such as this we hope that we can plug the gap and create a safer South Yorkshire for everyone.”

Cllr Simon Ball at Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, said: “It’s great that we can partner with South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue to use our data to benefit our communities. Many residents who get an assisted waste collection have a disability or medical condition, so we’re pleased to be able to work with South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue to provide people with even more support to keep them safe.”

Between 2019 and 2024, 16 people died in house fires in South Yorkshire and fire service investigations finding that issues such as hoarding, drugs, alcohol and mental health problems frequently contributing to the fires starting.

If you know someone who you think may be at risk, carry out an online home safety check with them today.

**Content Warning – this post discusses topics around suicide**

A South Yorkshire 999 operator has backed a charity campaign to raise money for mental health support which saved his life.

Ruari Scates, a control room operator with South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, struggled with his own mental health following big life changes and bereavements.

Now he is backing a charity single which aims to raise money for Fire Fighters Charity, which supports the wellbeing of fire service staff like him.

Ruari said: “Before joining South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, I struggled with depression and low mood, attributing it to bereavements and the strain of working night shifts. Joining the service in early 2024 felt like a new beginning, but six months in, I was overwhelmed by feelings of ‘impostor syndrome’ and the stress of a house move.”

“At a particularly low point, I reached out to Fire Fighters’ Charity’s helpline, a resource provided during my induction and reinforced through awareness days held by the fire service.

“The emergency counselling sessions I received were a lifeline. They not only saved my life, but also spared my family and friends from the potential fallout of my struggles. For the first time, I felt truly supported and able to overcome my negative mindset. I am a better person today, and above all, I am still here because of the charity.”

The decision to seek help was driven by a fear of becoming a burden to their team and the awareness of the devastating impact of suicide, both personally and professionally.

“I knew that if I didn’t reach out, I could worsen my situation and affect my ability to serve the public. My family’s experience with the consequences of suicide and my job’s exposure to its impact made it clear that I couldn’t allow myself to inflict the same distress.”

“The initial engagement with a counsellor was pivotal. The support and motivation I received during that first call encouraged me to follow through with the process and work towards bettering myself.”

“Almost everyone I know in the job has faced their own battles. Joining a men’s mental health group for emergency workers highlighted the prevalence and complexity of these issues.”

“But from day one, the culture, training, and resources provided by the service have been exceptional. Having worked in environments where mental health was either ignored or superficially addressed, I feel incredibly fortunate to receive such high standards of care at South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue. Every aspect of support is handled seriously and effectively, with training designed to prevent issues rather than react to them.”

Ruari is not alone. Poor mental health is a significant issue for many emergency service workers- and not just firefighters.

South Yorkshire Fire & Resue has invested heavily in mental health support for its staff, including a 24/7 helpline and setting up peer-led support for firefighters following traumatic incidents.

Fire Fighters’ Charity also plays a vital role by providing essential mental health support to firefighters. Their services, including online counselling, offer a lifeline to those in need, helping them to navigate their mental health challenges and build resilience.

Download ‘The Fire Safety Dance’ for 99p via iTunes or Amazon today to support the charity’s mission.