Category Archives: Fire Incidents

Warwickshire Police confirm two lives lost in Barford

Warwickshire Police have confirmed that two bodies have been recovered from the River Avon at Barford near Warwick. (Saturday 12 May).

The body of a child was recovered at shortly before 8.30pm and the body of an adult male was recovered from the river at shortly after 10pm. Both were declared deceased at the scene.
Two children recovered from the water earlier in the evening were taken to Warwick Hospital. One of the children, who had been taken from the water unconscious was described as being in a serious but stable condition. The second child was described as conscious but poorly.
The three children and the adult had been in a small rowing boat which had capsized on the River Avon at Barford.
The emergency services were contacted at 5.35pm and a major recovery operation was immediately started involving Warwickshire Police, West Midlands Ambulance Service, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue service and Severn Area Rescue plus other rescue services were involved in the operation.
The names of the deceased will not be released until formal identification processes have been completed.
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Jim Onions said:
“This has been a terrible and shocking incident.  Warwickshire Fire & Rescue crews were working until late in the evening dealing with what has been a very difficult operation.
“All the emergency services involved have expressed their thanks to the people of Barford for their help and support during what has been an extremely difficult and upsetting incident. Our thoughts are with the bereaved at this time.”

Stamping out small fires

The all-new Small Fires Unit is now fully operational in Warwickshire and is undertaking a host of work in both tackling and preventing fires.

PICTURE SHOWS: Les Moore, Roly Bayley, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Cllr Richard Hobbs, Graeme Smith, Chief Fire Officer, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service

In the two weeks following it going fully operational on April 2, it engaged with more than 80 young people aged between 9 and 17 and attended five small fire incidents in the Nuneaton and Bedworth area.

And in the last couple of weeks the Small Fires Unit team have responded to a call for help from residents in the Whitestone area of Nuneaton, concerned at antisocial behaviour on Paul’s Land, an area of open space.

Since the concerns were raised the Small Fires Unit has visited the area several times with the Warwickshire Safer Partnership and Police Community Support Officers, and has actively engaged with young people in the area.

On 30th April the SFU found young people scaling the boundary fence. Names and addresses were taken and a Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service arson reduction officer and the local Police Community Support Officer are visiting the named youths. The area will continue to be visited by the SFU.

Meanwhile, action is also being taken to tackle small fires on Whittleford Park, a 600 acre overgrown site in the Camp Hill area.

The team will be regularly patrolling this area and tackling any antisocial behaviour they encounter.

Elsewhere in Camp Hill, Pride in Camp Hill has this week confirmed that 12 derelict properties, which have been causing issues with anti-social behaviour, are to be demolished in the next couple of weeks. So far 3 of the 12 have gone. These works have come about as a result of various partners working together to reduce arson in this area.

As well as a fire crew, a Police Community Support Officer and officer from Nuneaton and Bedworth Leisure Trust also travel on the SFU as part of their Outreach work. A drugs worker has also recently started going out on the SFU to help engage with young people and target problem areas.

The activities mentioned above are part of a wider scheme to target potential young fire starters using intelligence from the Police by visiting local schools and families.

Over the last 18 months there have been more than 30 Home Fire Safety Checks for vulnerable families through the Family Intervention Project in Nuneaton, helping them be safer in their homes. All this work is helping to target the most vulnerable to reduce the risk of fire.

Since October 2007 Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service has been running an Anti Social Behaviour Intervention Team in the Nuneaton and Bedworth area.

This team have lead the way in helping to reduce the problems associated with Anti Social Behaviour, achieving significant reductions in deliberate small fires. Due to its success, the project was rolled out around the county in 2010.

Cllr Richard Hobbs, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, said: “The team relied entirely on the principle of engagement, intervention and education, but could not actually fight the fires.

“The launch of the Small Fires Unit is the next logical step, and Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service has taken this principle and moved it forwards by introducing a dedicated Small Fires Unit.

“This unit is proving its worth in tackling small fires and carrying on the principles created by ASBIT that have proved so successful.

“The capability to extinguish a small fire with this unit ensures that our main fire appliances are still available to respond to other emergencies where life may be at threat and not otherwise occupied at a small fire.”

The vehicle has been designed by the Fire Service for the specialist role of tackling Small Fires and allowing engagement with people in local communities.

Chief Fire Officer Graeme Smith added: “It is far smaller than a main fire appliance and has 4×4 capabilities, which allows it to get to the right place at the right time. The vehicle also has a ‘fogging’ unit which is a new technique of fighting fires that uses minimal amounts of water to extinguish a fire safely and rapidly.”

Rachel Jackson, Communities Manager at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, said: “We welcome the introduction of the Small Fires Unit and the continued focus of the Fire Service on providing interventions to reduce deliberate small fires in the Borough. The local Community Safety Partnership has identified anti-social behaviour, including small fires, as a priority for the next 12 months as Nuneaton and Bedworth remains the hotspot area for deliberate small fires within the county.

“We hope that this appliance will provide reassurance to communities that anti-social behaviour and fire setting will not be tolerated and as partners we will continue to work together to address it.”

Inspector Patrick Devereux, Neighbourhood Policing for Nuneaton and Bedworth, said: “This is an excellent example of how our partner agencies working together are having a positive effect for the people living in Nuneaton and Bedworth.

“The work the team is doing is helping to educate young people of the dangers of fire which in turn is reducing the number of incidents of anti social behaviour.”

The unit is based at Bedworth Fire Station and will cover the Nuneaton and Bedworth area.

For further information on the work of the Fire and Rescue Service visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fireandrescue

Fire Service counts the cost of arson!

Arson attacks in Warwickshire have cost Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service and it’s communities an estimated £21,830,084 in economic costs over the past four years.

More than 1,249 fires were deliberately started in the last year, totalling to 1652 fire appliances being called to deal with the fires. Deliberate attacks on commercial premises cost an average of £4365 with deliberate fires in domestic premises estimated at £12,800.

Around half of the fires attended were rubbish or bin fires, with the biggest being derelict buildings and skips.

Arson Reduction Manager, Ian Tonner, said: “Deliberate fire setting is not only dangerous for the individual involved, but it can devastate communities, schools and businesses. In the worst cases, lives can be lost.

“Ultimately, our priority is to keep the public and our firefighters safe and reducing arson and anti-social behaviour plays a big part in how we achieve that. We also need to support businesses to stay in business during this economic downturn, by educating them on how to reduce the risks of arson attacks on their premises.”

Whilst arson is a real issue and one we continue to drive down, we have had some real success.  In just two years we have managed to almost halve the economic cost of fire in Warwickshire. This has been driven by both preventative measures and an excellent operational response. However, we can not be complacent, which is why we have recently

launched our Small Fires Unit, which is already working in communities affected by arson. In addition we remain committed to our partnerships as we work together to protect the community and make Warwickshire a safer place to live.

To reduce the chances of being a victim of arson either at home or for commercial premises, there are some simple steps you can take:

  • Ensure your wheelie bin or your black bags are kept in a secure place away from buildings, so they cannot be set alight.
  •  Put rubbish out on the day of collection and then bring your bin in as soon as possible.
  • Never leave commercial bins open, keep them locked and secured before you leave the building for the evening and over the weekends.
  • Using a skip for building work or rubbish removal? Try to fill it and remove it on the same day.

For more information on fire safety log onto  http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/warksfirerescue

Flood Advice

With forecasters predicting that April’s below-average temperatures and torrential rain are set to continue into May, homes across the UK face the risk of flooding.  The Electrical Safety Council has put together five essential advice points for anybody dealing with flood damage to their homes.

Their top tips include:

1. Do not touch any sources of electricity – such as switches or appliances – when you are standing in flood water

2. If your electricity supply is not already turned off, contact your suppliers for help and advice.

3. Don’t turn your gas and electricity back on until your providers say that it is safe to do so.

4. Do not attempt any electrical repairs or connection of temporary supplies yourself – always use a registered electrician after contacting your supplier.

5. Get an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) done on your home by a registered electrician.  This report will check the condition of the electrical wiring in your property.  You might also want to ask your registered electrician to have a look at any electrical equipment and appliances that could have been affected by flood water.

Further information can be found online at http://www.esc.org.uk/ www.facebook.com/electricalsafetycouncil and www.twitter.com/officialesc

A booklet is also available to download:  ESC – Once the flood water has gone

 

Fire Safety Champion celebrates award!

North Warwickshire pupil, Sophie Hunt is being commended for taking part in the Junior Fire Safety Champion Scheme at Kingsbury Primary School on Monday 30th April.

The scheme, which encourages young people to spot potential fire hazards in the home, has been established by Warwickshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service as part of a drive to keep young people safe from harm through an interactive fire safety education programme in Primary Schools.

The scheme has been made possible thanks to a grant of £4,500 from the Electrical Safety Council (ESC).

As part of the scheme, pupils are  asked to carry out an initial hazard spotting exercise which checks key elements such as whether there is a working smoke alarm in the home, if there are any electrical cables running under carpets or rugs and ensuring that  there only one plug used per socket.  Checks can be carried out in their family home, grandparents, neighbours, relatives or friends houses. Once complete, the young people have to hand in a completed assessment to the school and are awarded with a Junior Fire Safety Champion certificate.

All assessments are passed onto the fire service and also provide the residents with the opportunity to request advice or a free home fire safety check from the fire service.

Sophie was presented with her Junior Fire Safety Champion certificate by Community Fire Safety Officer Andy Morgan during a school assembly and was also the lucky winner of a £25 WHSmith gift voucher after being picked out of the monthly prize draw.

Schools Liaison Officer, Ruth Greenhalgh said:

“We are really pleased to be presenting Sophie with her prize and to have received funding for this scheme from the Electrical Safety Council. This is the second scheme they have funded within the last three years to help educate young people about how to stay safe in the home.  The project has been rolled out to schools across Warwickshire to give young people aged between 9 and 10 the opportunity to learn more about fire safety, electrical fire safety and how to stay safe in the home.”

Lorraine Carney, Senior Campaigns Manager at the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) said:

“Our primary objective is to help people stay safer around electricity. So we are delighted to work with the Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service to support their innovative Junior Fire Safety Champion Scheme. According to government statistics, almost half of all accidental fires in UK homes – that’s over 20,000 each year – are caused by electricity, so it’s vital that people are made aware of where electrical dangers may arise in their homes and understand how to prevent an electrical-related accident happening.”

Portfolio Holder for Community Safety said:

“The Junior Fire Safety Champion Scheme is proving to be a real success with young people across Warwickshire. I would like to congratulate Sophie on receiving her prize and hope that more young people will now get involved with this very worthwhile scheme.”

 

65% of vehicle fires caused by poor maintenance!

Warwickshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service are warning drivers to take more care over the maintenance of their vehicles after seeing an increase in calls to attend accidental vehicle fires.

From April 2011 to March 2012, firefighters were called to 58 vehicle fires in Warwick, Leamington and Kenilworth, 38 of these were caused by a faulty fuel supply or an overheated engine. Whilst a number of these incidents can be attributed to people visiting or traveling through the county, residents still need to be aware of the dangers they face if their vehicle is not regularly maintained.

Station Commander for the Warwick District, Jon Dixon said:
“We are concerned that 65% of our accidental vehicle fires are caused by overheating and general maintenance issues. We know a lot of this is down to people trying to make savings in their budget, but cutting back on vehicle maintenance can often have severe consequences. Simple checks, such as making sure you have enough oil in the car before traveling long journeys or making sure that the vehicle is serviced regularly, can really make a difference to your safety.“

Portfolio Holder for Community Protection, Richard Hobbs said:
“The safety of residents or people visiting and traveling through the county is paramount to us. By highlighting the issue of accidental vehicle fires, we hope to make people more aware of the dangers they face if vehicles are not properly checked before traveling on long journeys.”

Jon continued; there are simple steps residents can take to help them stay safe on the roads. These include:
* Ensure that the tyre pressure on your vehicle is checked regularly.
* Do not smoke or use a mobile phone while driving
* Ensure you vehicle has an annual MOT and Service
* Check water/coolant (anti freeze in cold weather) and oil levels to prevent over-heating and engine failure.

For further information on fire safety please log onto www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fireandrescue