Pandemic support for ambulance service ends after completion of almost 1500 hours of work

by Projects

Firefighters in Northamptonshire will this week bring their programme of ambulance service support efforts to a close, having completed almost 1500 hours of work during the pandemic.

Since the end of April, on-call firefighters from Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) have completed 146 shifts to support East Midlands Ambulance Service, amounting to just under 1500 hours of work.

Early in the pandemic, NFRS became one of the fire and rescue services asked to take part in work which included performing tasks such as driving Urgent Care vehicles and the safe moving and handling of patients.

Other services in the region asked to participate included Humberside, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

In total, 12 firefighters from NFRS took part in supporting the work of EMAS during the Covid-19 pandemic.

NFRS Group Manager Stefan Douglas said: “All the firefighters who have supported this work for EMAS have volunteered to take this on and it has been a huge learning experience for them, and a rewarding one.

“Although this was borne out of managing an extremely challenging situation, there have been positives in the work the organisations have done together. The individuals who took part in the scheme have been able to take back additional skills to their on-call stations and EMAS has learned more about our way of working too.”

In order to carry out the work alongside Urgent Care colleagues in EMAS, firefighters undertook specialist training to gain the skills needed to perform their new roles.

Michael Jones, General Manager for Northamptonshire at East Midlands Ambulance Service said:

“We are incredibly grateful for the support of our colleagues from Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service during these unprecedented times, helping to support our staff and patients who need us the most.

“We already work very closely with NFRS through our Emergency Services Volunteers and so this extra support has built on the great relationship we have with the fire service.

“A big thank you to all who have stepped forward to help.”

NFRS Firefighters remain ready to resume their role supporting EMAS should the need arise.

www.northantsfire.gov.uk/

Auxiliary Firefighting Programme from Jaheziya

by Middle East - Featured News Archives

Jaheziya offers the Auxiliary Firefighting Programme, designed to provide current and prospective firefighters with the tactics needed to handle emergencies in industrial environments. This enables delegates to develop skills for preventing and responding to emergencies.

The auxiliary firefighting programme is designed to provide current and prospective firefighters with the tactics needed to handle emergencies in industrial atmospheres. This enables delegates to develop skills for preventing and responding to emergencies.

Prerequisites:

Students are required to be:

  • Medically and physically fit (sponsor to ensure medical fitness).
  • Able to understand instructions / training delivered in the English Language.
  • A minimum of 18 years old.
  • Medically fit to participate in all elements of the course, and they will be asked to complete a self-declaration medical form before the course commences.
  • Holding a valid Emirates ID or passport from their home country.

jaheziya.ae/

California ‘Apple Fire’ forces thousands to evacuate

by Americas - Featured News

California fire services are currently battling a massive wildfire that has forced thousands of people from their homes east of Los Angeles.

More than 1,300 firefighters, backed by helicopters and water-dumping planes, have been tackling the blaze dubbed the Apple Fire which started on Friday 31st July.

Parts of the fire are on steep, rugged hillsides, making it hard for fire engines to reach.

Around 7,800 residents have been told to evacuate the area.

Images show flumes of smoke filling the sky over the mountainous region. In a tweet, the National Weather Service said some smoke had blown east to Phoenix, Arizona – nearly 300 miles (482km) away.

The wildfire began as two adjacent blazes in Cherry Valley, an area near the city of Beaumont.

It has since stretched out to 20,516 acres (8,302 hectares), San Bernadino National Forest said in a tweet on Sunday 2nd August.

Helicopter crash lands in Kent area

by Active

A helicopter thought to be carrying ‘as many as four people’ crashed yesterday morning (26th July) in the Kent area.

A red Robinson R44 came down in a field off the A299 Thanet Way near Herne Bay at around 10am.

The helicopter was forced into an emergency crash landing in the field next to Heart in Hand Road.

Fortunately, no one is reported to have been seriously hurt in the accident.

A police spokesman said: “Kent Police was contacted at 10.05am on Sunday 26 July 2020 and notified that a helicopter had carried out an emergency landing in a field near Heart in Hand Road, Herne Bay.

“Officers are attending the scene along with partner agencies.

“No serious injuries have been reported.

“The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been informed.”

A Kent Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “Firefighters were called to reports of a helicopter crash in the vicinity of A299 Thanet Way and Heart In Hand Road, near Herne Bay.

“Thankfully there was no fire or persons trapped, so crews were able to make the scene safe while paramedics provided care to the pilot and passengers.

“The scene has now been passed to Kent Police to liaise with air accident investigators.”

Paramedics, the coastguard and the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) were also called to the scene.

Darley launches brand new catalog

by Passive

The Darley catalog has arrived and with it brings the newest and most innovative products for first responders. This year has forced departments to adapt and find new ways to safely assist their communities. Darley recognises this “new normal”, embraces change, and their catalog reflects these changing needs.

Frequenters of Darley’s catalogs will notice the new Infection Control PPE section. With COVID-19 making its way through the world, first responders need to have access to the latest infection control PPE. The section includes safety masks, cases of disposable gowns and gloves, and decon equipment designed to protect personnel from infectious disease. The world has changed, and infectious disease PPE has become a staple to a departments’ PPE inventory.

Darley have also created a new Training section to showcase the latest in virtual reality and innovation, from the new FLAIM trainer and FLAIM Extinguisher to RiVR’s virtual classrooms. The FLAIM trainer offers a safe, low-cost, and mobile training aid for firefighters. The equipment here is designed to complement traditional training, not to replace it. These training systems allow for increased departmental training, leading to better preparedness.

In addition to their new virtual training section, Darley have expanded their robotics section. The section includes the most innovative unmanned robotic equipment departments need, and the training required for a department to run its program.

www.darley.com/

Elizabethtown joins campaign to ease volunteer firefighter shortage

by Americas - Projects

As the state faces a shortage of volunteer firefighters, the NC Association of Fire Chiefs and the International Association of Fire Chiefs are kicking off a two-year plan designed to alleviate staffing shortages in key parts of North Carolina.

More than 70% of NC firefighters are volunteers. As the state sees the number of volunteer firefighters decline at 11-12 percent every year, several communities are in critical need of firefighters.

Bladen County was identified as one of the 15 at risk counties chosen to take part in the effort.

Elizabethtown Fire Department is the only department in the county that has a paid staff of firefighters, according to Chief Nick West. The other fire agencies in the region are predominately staffed by volunteers.

“There is a shortage, not only in Bladen County but this region itself. We will be utilizing this information from the workforce solutions program and getting the word out saying ‘we need some support.’ It’s a critical level for department members in Bladen County…some members volunteer in multiple departments,” said Chief West.

The campaign is funded by a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant to enhance the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. The effort will include local research on where to find potential volunteer firefighters and workshops to improve recruitment and retention.

Just a month into the campaign, the chief says they’ve seen an overwhelming response from the community. The new interest in lending a hand is further encouraged by the department moving to a brand new station that will serve as a crisp new backdrop for tours and educational events.

The chief says recently, they were awarded a grant for a fitness trainer for the department, giving potential volunteer firefighters even more incentive to work with Elizabethtown Fire.

Having a full staff of firefighters allows the department to work faster at fires and medical calls and do things like better handle traffic at car crash scenes, ensuring the safety of all the first responders working the call.

In addition to emergencies, volunteers are vital to efforts that prevent tragedies in the first place like smoke alarm canvassing, educational outreach and fire inspections.

“We want people to know we rely on our volunteers and say ‘look what we can accomplish in Elizabethtown or Bladen County with the great volunteers we have in our community.’ Its really humbling for sure. We’ve noticed in the hurricanes, people can’t necessarily volunteer but they bring stuff and ask ‘what can they do’ and you can tell in times of crisis, small communities really come together,” said West. “It takes a big effort from a lot of different people to help this work and we’re just thankful for the opportunity to get the word out and say here’s what our community’s needs are and here’s how we can expand it and make it better for sure.”

www.VolunteerFireNC.org

FIA works with NFCC to provide PPE for front line firefighters

by PassiveProjects

When the COVID-19 pandemic reaching its peak in late-March, the Fire Industry Association (FIA) sought to collaborate with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) to make sure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was made readily available for firefighters to protect themselves against COVID-19 while undertaking their enhanced role assisting the National Health Service and the ambulance service.

The FIA assisted the National Fire Commercial Transformation Programme (NFCTP) that’s led by Kent’s chief fire officer Ann Millington by engaging its members and asking them to leverage their contacts in wider industry sectors to source PPE such as gloves, masks and hand sanitiser.

The FIA ensured that all suggested suppliers had evidence to prove that they were compliant with the appropriate standards as defined by the technical due diligence process outlined by the Kent Fire and Rescue Service. After these checks, the FIA then forwarded the suppliers to the team in Kent who would complete the due diligence and then liaise with Fire and Rescue Services up and down the country in a determined bid to ensure access to available supply of critical commodities.

Tina Butler, head of commercial and procurement the Kent Fire and Rescue Service and programme lead for the NFCTP, explained: “The NFCTP and the FIA have been engaged for some time prior to COVID-19, building a more professional relationship between the sectors to ensure that we move away from a fragmented approach towards market engagement.”

Butler continued: “The unprecedented global impact on supply chains as a result of the pandemic has been a real test of this new way of working, and I’m incredibly grateful to FIA director Bernie Higgins and everyone involved within the network who have really pulled together with the Fire and Rescue Service to ensure that we can provide the right level of protection for our front line personnel. I look forward to building upon this good work to ensure that, together, we can deliver the most effective and successful recovery possible.”

Ann Millington added: “I’m indebted, as is the national fire service, to the extraordinary work carried out by Tina Butler and her team and the wider team of procurement professionals in this crisis. It’s no exaggeration to say we couldn’t have done the great work in supporting other agencies during this crisis were it not for the PPE supplies. The FIA has been a great partner in this and I thank the Trade Association for its tremendous efforts.”

Bernie Higgins responded: “This is an excellent example of the wider fire sector working together in the national interest to ensure that firefighters can continue to protect the public during this extremely challenging period.”

The FIA and the NFFC paused the arrangement on 15 June to reflect the more stable position of the sector, but have left the door wide open to re-starting this valuable partnership to help protect firefighters across the nation should the need arise.

As the national now enters the recovery phase, the FIA will be working very closely with the NFCC to assist Fire and Rescue Services and suppliers to it in order to ensure the most effective recovery possible.

US researchers seek firefighters to participate in alcohol use study

by Americas - Projects

Researchers from the Centre for Fire, Rescue & EMS Health Research and the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) are looking for firefighters and their spouses or partners to participate in a study about firefighters and alcohol use.

With funding from a FEMA Research and Development grant, the researchers seek to review the spectrum of alcohol and the culture around it in the fire service as a first step to understanding how to raise awareness about the importance of moderating drinking to healthy levels.

The researchers would like to interview participants about their alcohol intake and drinking habits, regardless of how much they consume.

“It is well documented in research that there are high rates of alcohol use in the fire service both compared to the general population and other occupational groups,” explained Dr. Sara Jahnke, director of the Centre for Fire, Rescue & EMS Health Research.

There are a number of reasons the rates are likely so high, she said, some due to things like the role alcohol has played traditionally in the fire service, the camaraderie that is built around meeting up for a drink, and pragmatic reasons like shift work and having the same off days as the people on your crew.

“There is also evidence that behavioural health and alcohol use are intertwined, with higher rates of alcohol use leading to behavioural health concerns and vice versa,” Jahnke said. “There is clear evidence that alcohol is being used as a coping mechanism for some as a way to manage repeated exposure to trauma.”

Jahnke explained that while moderate alcohol use isn’t necessarily a negative health behaviour, there are health implications from binge drinking and regular heavy drinking, including increased risk of some cancers, sleep disruption and cardiovascular impacts.

Further, the study is also designed, Jahnke said, to develop tools for those who believe they may have a problem with drinking and/or feel like they are dependent on alcohol to identify the issue and find ways to address it. However, “The goal of the study is not to start a crusade to stop alcohol use in the fire service, but to help create a shift in the way it is viewed and consumed so it doesn’t contribute to negative health effects,” she added.

The IAFF, the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) all support this project.

Firefighters tackle residential London fire

by ActiveBreaking News

Firefighters are warning smokers to discard cigarettes carefully after eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters tackled a flat fire on Otto Street in Kennington.

Half of a flat on the first floor of the building was damaged by fire and the remaining part of the property suffered severe smoke and heat damage. Thirteen adults and five children were treated on scene by London Ambulance Service crews.

The Brigade’s Fire Investigators believe the fire was caused by a cigarette being discarded from an upper floor and coming into contact with combustible materials stored on a first floor balcony.

Station Commander Ned Alexander who was at the scene said: “Firefighters have worked exceptionally hard to get this flat fire under control. The first floor flat was damaged by the blaze but crews prevented it from spreading further.

“Around 100 people self evacuated from the building and a number of other residents stayed within their flats.

“Fires caused by smoking materials including cigarettes, roll-ups, cigars and pipes, result in more deaths than any other type of fire. Stub cigarettes out properly and always dispose of them carefully.

“Make sure smoking materials are cold before emptying ashtrays. Preferably wet stubs before throwing them into a bin.”

“The Brigade’s 999 Control Officers took sixty 999 calls in the early stages.”

Firefighters’ smoking safety tips

  1. It’s safer to smoke outside, but make sure cigarettes are put right out and disposed of properly.
  2. Use proper ashtrays, which can’t tip over and stub cigarettes out properly.
  3. Never smoke in bed, and avoid smoking on arm chairs and sofas – especially if you think you might fall asleep.
  4. Take extra care when you’re tired, taking prescription drugs or if you’ve been drinking alcohol.
  5. Don’t balance cigars or cigarettes on the edge of an ashtray, or anything else – they can tip and fall as they burn away and cause a fire.
  6. Don’t leave lit pipes or cigarettes unattended.
  7. Always empty ashtrays carefully. Make sure smoking materials are out, cold and preferably wet them before throwing into a bin – never use a wastepaper basket.
  8. Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach, and buy child resistant lighters.
  9. Never smoke if you use healthcare equipment like medical oxygen or an air flow pressure relief mattress. If you use paraffin-based emollient creams, ask for non-flammable alternatives instead.
  10. Consider additional safety measures such as fire retardant bedding or nightwear.

Firefighters still working on Leverett, Massachusetts forest fire

by Americas - Featured News

A fire that has burned trees and consumed undergrowth on about 66 acres of woodland between Montague Road and Route 63 north of Leverett Pond is mostly contained following five full days of firefighting.

Leverett Fire Chief John Ingram said Tuesday that firefighters have gained control of the blaze by establishing a secure fire line, which runs about 1½ miles around the perimeter of the fire and is designed to prevent its continued spread.

The fire line was cut by a bulldozer, donated by Wagner Wood of Amherst for use for two days. The bulldozer scraped away ground cover to get to bare ground. Then, firefighters dug a trench at the fire line by hand, with the aim of breaking the greenery and ensuring the fire has no way of escaping.

“We’re in a much better place than we were,” Ingram said.

At the peak of the fire over the weekend, more than 100 firefighters from throughout the region were on scene to battle the blaze.

Ingram estimates that the fire is now 80% contained. The continued challenge is due to the landscape’s significant ledge and not being able to make a perfect circle around the fire.

For the rest of the week, at least through Saturday, there will just be crews of two Leverett firefighters going out, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, to make sure the fire remains under control, Ingram said. They will get assistance from the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation and state wildlife management employees.

The work began last Thursday when the department got calls from Rattlesnake Gutter Road residents and identified the plumes of smoke were coming from what is known as Joshua Hill. The cause of the fire is not yet known and remains under investigation.

The wet weather this week has helped, but Ingram said it won’t be enough to get down into the roots and fully douse the blaze.

“That whole area will be hot for a while,” Ingram said. Because of that, Ingram said hikers and those who are curious should not venture onto the land.

“It’s still too dangerous to be in that inner circle,” Ingram said, adding that some trees continue to be consumed and burning limbs and entire trees are occasionally falling.

As firefighters did work in the woods, residents and area businesses helped to bring breakfast, lunch and dinner to them. Leverett Connects, the town’s e-newsletter, served as a way to get people to get the necessary food and drink to the Leverett Safety Complex.

The work included arranging for the delivery of pizzas by Amherst House of Pizza, purchase of sandwiches and grinders from Big Y Supermarket, donation of bananas by Atkins Farms Country Market and 40 pounds of ice by Liquors 44 in Hadley, a half-pallet of water bottles from Home Depot and a mixed box of apples and pears from the Leverett Village Co-op. Stop & Shop provided gift cards for supplies.