A joint fire and police team set up to reduce demand on 999 responders in Sheffield has already visited hundreds of homes in the city, three months after it first launched.

The Local Intervention and Falls Episodes (LIFE) team, also supported by Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, is half way through a six month pilot which sees staff visit homes to reduce fire risk in properties, improve security and help people who have fallen.

So far the team has carried out 101 crime prevention checks and 191 home safety visits, which include the fitting of free smoke alarms.

The team also responds to help people at high volume, lower priority incidents, including helping 26 people who have had a fall, are not seriously injured, but are unable to get up on their own.

The team has also helped find two missing people and visited vulnerable people who have either been victims of crime or are at risk of anti-social behaviour.

Some of this work traditionally takes police officers and paramedics off the road for many hours.

SYFR Head of Prevention and Protection Steve Helps, said: “This is a very encouraging start for a brand new team, which proves emergency services are working together locally to help make people safer and healthier.

“We know that there are huge links between the people who need the help of the police and health services, and those who are at risk of fire. So collaborative working such as this undoubtedly benefits our public safety work.”

Chief Inspector Jenny Lax from South Yorkshire Police, said: “The team have made a promising start and are working really well together to reduce the vulnerability of people in our communities and improve their quality of life”

The team operates using two specialist vehicles and consists of four staff – two South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue employees and two South Yorkshire Police community support officers (PCSOs).

The scheme has been funded by South Yorkshire Fire Authority for six months and researchers from the University of Huddersfield have been commissioned to evaluate its effectiveness. If successful, it could be extended and taken to other parts of South Yorkshire.

Last year the Government announced new proposals to transform the way the police, fire and rescue and ambulance services work together. It wants to encourage collaboration by introducing a new statutory duty on all three emergency services to look at opportunities to work with one another better to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

In South Yorkshire, fire crews already attend hundreds of ‘medical break-ins’ every year, where they gain access to properties where people are thought to be in need of urgent medical attention, but where ambulance service paramedics cannot get to them. This work used to be carried out by the police.

Work has also now started on a joint police and fire station in Maltby, whilst five ambulance stand-by points will also be created at five other fire service premises across the county.

The fire service is repeating its annual safety call as thousands of people in South Yorkshire prepare to mark bonfire night.

Though the fireworks period is traditionally one of South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s busiest, call outs to small, deliberate fires on November 5 are now down to a quarter of what they were ten years ago.

Fire service managers hope that by continuing to work with partners to educate youngsters and reduce call outs the public will remain safe.

In the run up to bonfire night, fire service staff have been issuing safety advice and leaflets to residents about firework safety, as well as reminding retailers not to sell fireworks to under 18s.

Officers have also been assisting with the removal of waste which could be used to light illegal bonfires and have been working closely with local trading standards to cut out illegal fireworks sales.

Our Community Safety teams have been visiting schools across the county talking to children about the dangers of fireworks and the consequences of anti social behaviour.

Steve Helps, head of prevention and protection, said: “The best way to enjoy bonfire night is to attend an organised display. The bonfires are bigger, the fireworks are better and they are a lot safer.

“If you are intent on holding your own display, the advice is simple. Only buy British Standard marked fireworks, follow the instructions on the box and site any bonfires well away from buildings.”

The fire service’s top three tips for staying safe this bonfire night are:

1. Attend organised displays – they’re much safer than holding your own
2. Only buy fireworks from reputable retailers and never from people on the street
3. Light bonfires well away from sheds, fences, bushes and trees

Young people taking part in a major local youth development programme have unveiled their transformation of a local boxing club in Cudworth.

The Prince’s Trust Team Programme which is being delivered by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and South Yorkshire Police from Barnsley fire station is the first scheme of its kind to be jointly run by the police and fire services anywhere in the UK.

Team Programme is a 12 week personal course for unemployed 16 to 25 year olds, offering work experience, qualifications, practical training and a residential development week.

The programme asks the young people to nominate their own community project, with those on the current scheme choosing to renovate the boxing club, which has been run for the last 40 years by local man Fred Gummerson.

The makeover of the club has included cleaning the grounds, removing the overgrown vegetation and painting the railings. While inside the team have been busy painting the training area and adding a mural to the wall.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Team Leader Rhian Oxley said; “Our Team Programme is about giving hope and confidence to the young people and an opportunity to improve their chances of gaining further education or employment.

“Hopefully their efforts here will inspire members of the local community to continue using the facility, securing this resource for future generations.”

A second Team Programme is also running currently from Dearne fire station.

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.”