A shocking new video has been released in a bid to prompt people to do more to prevent dozens of house fires every year which are caused by alcohol dependency.

The film, titled ‘To Save A Life’, calls on family members, carers, loved ones and neighbours to look out for people who are at risk of fire due to a range of contributory factors, including substance misuse.

Developed by Doncaster Council Public Health in partnership with South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR), the film tells the story of a man who drinks heavily and puts the chip pan on, starting a house fire which leads to his death.

Several people missed opportunities to help the man in a story which fire officers say is regularly repeated across the country every year.

Head of prevention and protection Steve Helps, said: “Cooking related incidents make up half of all the house blazes we attend, but often there is much more behind these fires than someone simply letting something overheat or getting distracted in the kitchen.

“We know that alcohol makes you much more likely to suffer a fire in your home. It makes you uncoordinated and more likely to fall asleep. That’s why we need people living in our communities to be much more aware of alcohol dependency and its associated consequences, referring people for the necessary help where possible, so that we can prevent incidents like the one shown in this video from occurring in the first place.”

Dr. Rupert Suckling, Doncaster Council’s Director of Public Health, said: “We all know the long term health risks associated with excessive drinking, but there are immediate risks too including accidents outside and inside the home. It’s important that people take care of themselves especially during the festive period when many people will be out celebrating.

“The purpose of this film, though, is to also encourage people to look after each other and watch out for the warning signs of alcohol dependency and any potential risks to themselves and others. Report any concerns you have to relevant services like Aspire drug and alcohol Service, the Fire Service or your GP.”

The video forms part of the fire service’s latest effort to curb kitchen blazes, which kicked off earlier this month. SYFR says it has attended 216 house fires caused by cooking in Doncaster since 2013, resulting in 51 injuries and one death.

Most of the blazes are caused by cooking that’s been left unattended, chip pans that overheat or dirty ovens that ignite due to a build up of fat and grease. But factors contributing to the fires also include alcohol, drugs and mental health issues.

The film, created by up and coming South Yorkshire director James Lockey, will now be shared at GP surgeries across Doncaster and online countywide as part of an initiative which won £15,000 in Fire Authority funding last year.

The Stronger Safer Communities Reserve fund is a scheme which reinvests money into local communities to support our work to prevent emergencies. The money has been set aside from the Authority’s reserves.

Two rounds of successful projects have been funded through the scheme, benefiting more than 40 projects with charities and community groups able to bid for sums ranging from £5,000 to £150,000.

To view the film and for more information on preventing fires visit www.tosavealife.uk

Work has started on a new joint fire and police station in Maltby.

Chief Fire Officer James Courtney, Police & Crime Commissioner Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police Superintendent Sarah Poolman and Fire Authority member Cllr Pat Haith attended an event to formally begin work on the site.

Maltby fire station will close and Maltby police station will be modified to accommodate fire service vehicles and staff, under the plans approved by Rotherham Council last year.

The project won Government Transformation Funding of £560,000 and will help save both South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue money by sharing building running costs, enabling funding to be targeted at frontline services.

The move will shift fire service resources around a mile closer to the east side of Rotherham, which traditionally accounts for a greater volume of emergency incidents compared to lower risk areas to the east of Maltby.

It will also improve services by making it easier for police and firefighters to share knowledge, skills and expertise when tackling common issues, like anti-social behaviour and road traffic collisions. In a similar way, it will also help both organisations to reach the most vulnerable members of the community.

Chief Fire Officer James Courtney said: “This move makes perfect sense for us, for the police and for the taxpayer. Instead of having two public buildings, and all the running costs associated with them, we will be able to combine our resources into one facility to provide a more efficient frontline service.

“By working alongside each other under one roof, the move will also benefit both organisations by improving how we work together to solve problems we both face, which can only help to improve the quality of the service we offer to local people.”

Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner said: “The move to accommodate both South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue staff under one roof is a huge step in our commitment to the public to reduce costs and work more collaboratively.

“The diminishing government grants for both organisations are requiring all of us to be most cost effective, whilst still providing the same levels of service.  I hope that the police and fire station will prove to be a successful pilot and we can identify further opportunities for blue light services to work together.”

South Yorkshire Police Superintendent Sarah Poolman said: “The layout of this purpose-built facility will assist internal information and intelligence sharing among police staff, as it’s better designed to help meet the demands of modern policing, demands that have changed substantially since the existing station was constructed many years ago on Byford Road.

“We envisage that sharing the building with our partners at the Fire and Rescue Service will improve both parties input into collaborative projects too, delivering a better coordinated service to the public.”

Kier has been appointed as the main contractor for the building work and the new facility is expected to open in spring 2017.

Fire safety bosses are calling on Sheffield’s student to ditch door wedges and use a packet of biscuits instead to make friends.

The safety plea comes as experts fear the city’s new arrivals could be tempted to wedge open fire doors which are meant to keep them safe in the event of a major blaze.

Reports from elsewhere in the country suggest that some student marketing companies actually provide door wedges in a bid to make it easier for students to make friends.

But South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue business fire safety officers say fire doors in large, student accommodation blocks are there for a reason.

Business Fire Safety Manager Amy Jenkinson, said: “Fire doors are a crucial part of the passive fire protection of every commercial, public and multiple occupancy building. They save lives and property and should never be propped open. They are designed to stop a fire spreading as fast, which is especially important in accommodation like student complexes where multiple people live.

“We’re aware of some people around the country providing door wedges to promote friendship, but suggest that there are safer and more effective ways of making new friends- from a cup of tea and a packet of biscuits, to sharing some music or a film.”

Other tips for students to keep them safe from fire include:

• Don’t cook under the influence of alcohol- buy a takeaway after a night out instead
• Switch off electrical appliances like mobile chargers, laptops and hair straighteners when not in use
• Plan and practice an escape route with your house mates. In the event of a fire- get out, stay out and dial 999
• Never leave candles unattended and keep them away from curtains, drapes and clothes

A fire crew from Sheffield is celebrating after coming out on top in a national competition to test firefighters’ search and rescue skills in heat and smoke.

Central White Watch were awarded first place in the UK finals of the Breathing Apparatus (BA) challenge- defending the title they won last year.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue firefighters competed against 15 other fire crews from across the UK, including West Yorkshire, West Midlands and Cornwall.

Each team tackled a series of scenarios involving the rescue of ‘casualties’ from inside smoke-filled buildings at Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh.

Awards were also won by Will Selby, who was named best entry control officer, and Chris Moore and John Taylor who won best BA team. A second team from South Yorkshire, made up of officers and instructors from across the service, finished fourth.

Judges at the competition named the Central crew overall winners after scoring firefighters in a number of different skill areas including BA search and rescue, firefighting while in BA, pump operator, BA entry control officer and incident command.

Officers say the competition is proof of the skill and professionalism of the county’s crews.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer John Roberts, who attended the event, said: “We’re very proud that for the second year in a row a crew from South Yorkshire has taken first place in a national competition that was filled with ultra professional, highly-skilled firefighters. The standard is always extremely high but is rising year on year, so for our crew to perform again to such a high standard on the national stage is a fantastic achievement.”

Our latest Prince’s Trust programme is running in Dearne, and the recruits on Team Valiant are really taking the bull by the horns.

They were recently invited by the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion in the Yorkshire Regiment to visit Catterick Garrison and meet the regiment.

It was an early start for the team, travelling to North Yorkshire to take up the invite. On arrival, following introductions, they were treated to a display by the Drums Platoon before moving on to different stances which included vehicle recovery, command tasks, physical training and finally finishing with a weapons and equipment display.

The Commanding Officer commended the group for their participation and enthusiasm, stating how impressed he was with their efforts on the day. The youngsters really demonstrated what a fantastic team they are, winning medals from the Commanding Officer for being the quickest team to complete the command tasks.

On behalf of Team Valiant, we would like to pass on thanks to the 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment and The Prince’s Trust for providing this unique opportunity.

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

In 2013, Ben Williamson became an Assistant Fire Cadet Instructor after being a Fire Cadet for a number of years. Wanting to work further with the fire service he became a Fire Support Volunteer within the Community Safety department, assisting and supporting the fire service safety teams by helping out at events, carrying out Home Safety Checks and fitting smoke alarms for members of the public.

Ben soon became a valued member of the team, and it was here that he gained the skills and experience required to further his career within the fire service.

A full time vacancy became available and his drive and determination spurred him on to apply for the permanent post of Maintenance Operative Driver. Ben was successful and became a paid member of staff in September 2016.

Ben said; “Without volunteering I would never have developed the skills and confidence that secured me this role. Volunteering has changed my life and has benefited me in many ways and I would recommend it to anyone.”

Sue Butler, Volunteering Co-Ordinator at South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue said; “Ben is a shining example of how volunteering helps out the local community and the individual themselves. Ben has gone from strength to strength and the knowledge and skills he acquired during his time as a volunteer was a large factor in his gaining full time employment within the service. We are all really proud of him and wish him all the best in his career.”

If you are interested in volunteering for South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue call 0114 253 2413.

Fire officers are urging farmers to take steps to protect their livelihoods, after a large number of farm blazes in the last three months.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has attended 39 fires since June, either on farm sites or involving crops in fields.

Many of those fires were started deliberately, with most farms’ isolated locations, open boundaries and easily ignitable materials like hay and straw making them particularly vulnerable to arson.

More than 1,600 farm buildings are lost to fire each year in the UK, costing farmers thousands of pounds in lost machinery, crops and livestock.

Head of prevention and protection Steve Helps, said: “We get called to dozens of field and farm fires each year in South Yorkshire, with many of these fires occurring around harvesting time.

“Not only do fires like this put lives at risk by potentially diverting fire engines away from other, life threatening incidents, they also cost farmers thousands of pounds in damage.

“The maximum sentence for arson is life in prison. People do get caught and do get prosecuted, so we urge people to report arsonists to the police”.

To help prevent fires, farmers are being asked to:

Remove hay and straw as soon as possible after harvesting
Store fuels, fertilisers and pesticides securely – preferably under lock and key
Check unoccupied and remote areas of the farm to make sure they are safe and secure

Anyone with information about people starting fires in their area should call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.