Tag Archives: Fire engine / appliance

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

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


Competition winners celebrate their success!

Children from Welcombe Hill School, Stratford, have been celebrating their success this week after winning a poster competition run by Warwickshire County Councils Fire and Rescue Service.

The posters were designed after pupils took part in a safety education session at the school. The aim of the session was to teach the children about the dangers of fire and how to make an escape plan should a fire occur in their home. The pupils were then able to have a look around a fire engine with firefighters from Green Watch, Stratford.

Four classes at the school – Oak, Willow, Pear and Maple, were then invited to design a poster to show a fire safety message that they had learnt from the day.  Overall 21 posters were submitted and the lucky winners were chosen by the School Liaison Officer from the Fire and Rescue Service.

The winners and the runners up have now all been presented with certificates and goody bags including felt tips, squeezy fire engines and fridge magnets as a reward for the hard work and imagination they put into designing the posters.

Schools Liaison Officer, Ruth Greenhalgh said:
“Firstly, I would like to thank all of the young people who took part and congratulate the winners and runners up in the competition.

“Teaching young people about fire safety and staying safe is a key element of their social development and we are pleased that so many schools in the County work with us on initiatives like this.  The pupils at Welcombe Hills School were full of enthusiasm for the project and it was apparent by the design of the posters that our message had been understood.”

For further information on fire safety in the home then log onto www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fireandrescue

Four people rescued in House Fire, Church Road, Stockingford, Nuneaton

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service have rescued four people from their homes after a chip pan set alight in the communal kitchen. Firefighters were called to the premises at 2.14am on Thursday 8 March.

Crews entered the property and rescued the remaining residents before the fire spread. Four breathing apparatus were in use. Scene safety was implemented. Two appliances from Nuneaton, one from Bedworth and the Fire and Emergency Support Service were all in attendance.

Trapped Muntjac rescued from railings

Trapped Deer

A young Muntjac deer got more than he bargained for this week when out for a midnight feast by getting stuck in metal railings.

The stranded buck was thrashing around near Marsh Lane, Curdworth, Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands on Monday morning.  RSPCA inspector Daniel Cole arrived to find the deer had managed to pull most of his body and his four legs through the railings but was stuck by his back end.

With the assistance of a couple of locals, Daniel tried to free the deer using a car jack but when this was unsuccessful called for expert help in the form of  Warwickshire fire and rescue.  They used special equipment which widened the gap in the railings freeing the deer within minutes.

Many thanks go to officers from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue as their help was invaluable with this rescue, said inspector Cole.

The deer was clearly distressed as he was making an alarming noise, screaming like a child. With any wildlife rescue we do our utmost to keep the animal as calm as possible preventing undue stress.  I put a towel over the deer’s head which quietened him down.  He had sustained a few minor grazes but thankfully nothing major so once he was free it was in his best interests to allow him to immediately return to the wild.

Matt Baker, a Firefighter from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service based at Atherstone, attended the incident.

He said: “When we arrived the deer had obviously been stuck for several hours and the RSPCA put a towel over his head to keep him calm while we used our specialist hydraulic equipment to open the railings.

“It took a few minutes and once we managed to free the deer he headed straight for the woods to lick his wounds. We are pleased it was a happy ending and that we were able to help return this wonderful animal to the wild.”

Muntjac were first introduced from China to Woburn Park in Bedfordshire in the early 20th century. Deliberate releases and escapes from Woburn, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire led to feral populations establishing. They are now widespread in England.  They are generally solitary animals or can be found in pairs.  They are active 24 hours a day but make more use of open spaces during the hours of darkness. Peak times of activity are at dawn and dusk. After feeding, long periods are spent “lying up”,
when the deer lies down to ruminate. A common name for muntjac is “barking deer” resulting from the repeated, loud bark given under a number of circumstances. An alarmed muntjac may scream whereas maternal does and kids squeak.