Firefighters team up with NHS to promote health checks and No Smoking Day

BLFRS and NHS work together on health and home safety checks at the CFS bus and Area Commander Tony Rogers takes a health check on the CFS bus

Firefighters will be teaming up with NHS staff to promote No Smoking Day on March 10th at Tesco, Cardington Road, Bedford.

Using the Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service Community Fire Safety Bus as a mobile venue, firefighters will be warning people about the increased chances of fires in homes where smokers live.

And NHS staff will be offering health checks to shoppers at the same time.

The visit by the CFS bus is part of a wide safety campaign being run jointly by BLFRS and the NHS. The event on March 10th coincides with a national “Up in Smoke”campaign by the fire service nationally.

www.nosmokingday.org.uk

Firefighters and the British Red Cross sign up to help people in crisis

Firefighters and the British Red Cross are going to be working together more closely to help keep people safe in Bedfordshire and Luton.

The Fire and Emergency Support Service (FESS) vehicle run by Red Cross volunteers already turns out to emergency incidents to provide shelter and aid to those who whose homes have been damaged by fire, flood or other emergency. It is based at Bedford Fire Station in Barker’s Lane and volunteers are alerted by the Fire and Rescue Service control team.

In fact, one member of the Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service, Karen Crane, is a Red Cross FESS volunteer who turns out to help when away from her shifts at the Fire Control in Kempston.

At February’s Combined Fire Authority meeting. Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding” with British Red Cross Area Operations Director Tricia Earp to cement the partnership between the two organisations.

Tricia Earp said: "The British Red Cross is delighted to sign this MoU and we hope we will be able to help even more vulnerable people in crisis in Bedfordshire and Luton from now on."

Both organisations also work together under the umbrella of Bedfordshire and Luton Local Resilience Forum (BLLRF) which brings together emergency services, local authorities and the voluntary sector to provide assistance to the public in times of crisis.

The Red Cross FESS team are always looking for more volunteers to crew the vehicle night and day. Contact Stephen Alexander at British Red Cross, 232 Dunstable Road, Luton LU4 8JL. Tel (01582) 589088 or email salexander@redcross.org.uk

See film of firefighters in action at road crash demonstration

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See firefighters in action and being interviewed about road safety on this local news website - PLUS lots of other films giving home fire and other safety advice www.local-news.tv

Local firefighters give advice and information at public forums

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Fire Station Commander Simon Marlow explains a joint road safety iniative at a Biggleswade Forum

Local firefighters have been joining these public meetings for nearly two years giving advice and information about fire and road safety. Working with other agencies such as the police and Central Beds Council, they have been helping to keep these areas safer.

Central Beds Council Forums

Wed 24th February at Sandy

Tues 23rd March at Flitwick

Full details of these and all from Leona.Ellis@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

Lowest fire council tax increase in UK

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Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service has agreed the lowest council tax increase of any fire service in the UK.

The ONE per cent increase has been managed despite inflation and a cut in previously expected funding from Central Government.

Efficiency savings have been made by the Fire Chief and his team in areas throughout the organisation.

“I would like to reassure people that these savings have not been made by reducing the responsiveness of our 999 crews but by our people working more effectively on fire stations and in our central offices,” said Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller on Friday February 5th at the Combined Fire Authority (CFA) where local council representatives approved the 2010/2011 budget,

“I would also like to remind people that we offer a FREE home fire safety check and smoke detector fitting service to all our residents in Bedfordshire and Luton and ask that your home is not protected to contact us straight away on 0800 043 5042 or go to www.bedsfire.com.”

Cllr Sian Timoney Chair of the CFA said: “We understand and appreciate that the current economic climate is having an impact upon all sections our community. Indeed as an Authority we are always mindful of the need to ensure we provide value for money and as such our Council Tax increase at Band D for 2009/10 was amongst the lowest nationally.

“For 2010- 2011 the CFA has increased the Council Tax at Band D by one per cent. This means that your Fire and Rescue Service is provided for under 23p pr day, which I believe represents very good value for money.”

*BLFRS is joint lowest in terms of council tax increases by FRSs together with two other brigades: Royal Berkshire and Tyne and Wear

National Average FRS authority increase 2.17 %. National Average share of council tax increase 2.4%.

BLFRS join Luton in Harmony Campaign

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BLFRS has signed up to support the Luton in Harmony Campaign, launched In January.

Luton in Harmony aims to build a positive reputation for the town by celebrating its diversity and promoting understanding within all its communities.

By signing the pledge and wearing the badge firefighters, service managers and Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller, are supporting the campaign aims of learning more about people from different backgrounds and their values.

Luton in Harmony has been born out of the recognition that there are currently many challenges to cohesion in Luton - but that the town's diversity has long been one of its greatest strengths, and that remains the case today.

A recent report bears this out. The Community Safety Survey, in June 2009, showed that 82% of people believe Luton is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together. This survey was carried out at a time when the town was experiencing a number of challenges, and represents an overwhelming vote of confidence in Luton's diversity from the people that live here.

Luton has been the focus of many negative media stories during 2009. Over the course of 2010, Luton in Harmony will draw more attention to the many positive aspects of the town and its people.

BLFRS Area Commander for Luton and South Bedfordshire Dave Fothergill said :

"Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service is very supportive of this campaign and we are fully signed up to promote and celebrate the diversity and unity of our communities, and to help build a positive reputation for our town alongside all our partners.

"All our communities are important to us and making friends with people from different backgrounds, learning about their values and understanding their own beliefs in a spirit of peace and harmony can only help us in successfully delivering our safety messages to the whole community."

Keeping people safer in rented accommodation

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Hundreds of residents in rented homes are to be made safer thanks to an initiative between Jayne Beard Property Management and local firefighters.

Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service recognises that those living in homes of multiple occupancy (HMOs), flats and rented accommodation can be at greater risk when fires break out. So to keep people safe they work with local landlords to ensure smoke detectors are fitted in these properties.

As a special initiative BLFRS decided also to approach Jayne Beard as a local property team with more than 800 homes to let to train staff to carry out informal “home fire safety checks”. Where smoke detectors are required, BLFRS will fit them - as they will in any household in Bedfordshire and Luton.

Said Jane Cain, Director of Jayne Beard Associates: “We have had training in a general risk assessment of fire safety, the main check being that the property has a working smoke detector. We can also advise tenants on home safety.”

Community Safety Officer Derek Hobbs, pictured far right with a team of firefighters from Bedford Station and staff from Jayne Beard, said:

“Anyone can phone 0800 043 5042 or log on to www.bedsfire.com and ask us for a free home fire safety check which will involve fitting a smoke detector.

“But we try to reach out to people in the community through a variety of activities and partnership work. This arrangement with Jayne Beard will be very helpful and we thank them for taking the time to work with us.

“If any other bona fide letting agents would like to talk to us then I would be glad to hear from them.”

Preventing, Protecting and Responding is the national motto of all fire and rescues services. BLFRS responds to emergency 999 calls but in addition spends much time working to prevent fires and to protect people from deaths and injuries in the home and on the road. The fitting of smoke detectors is a main way to ensure people escape from burning buildings before it is too late. A current national campaign points out that people can “drown” in toxic smoke after just taking a few breathes of smoke in their sleep.

Award for Fire Service Scheme that helps local young people

The Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service (BLFRS) Firebreak Scheme has been commended by the soLUTiONs Partnership. The success of the scheme, working with young people to promote a culture of safety and teamwork, has been recognised at an award ceremony at Luton Town Hall.

Luton's Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, known as soLUTiONs, is a partnership of organisations including BLFRS that work together in the town to address crime, anti-social behaviour, drug and alcohol problems and offending.

At its first awards ceremony the Partnership recognised the outstanding contribution made by a variety of frontline staff including the Firebreak Team : Youth Development Officer Cassandra Swan and Fire Officers Alan Gaytor, Steve Sugars. Richard Beasley, Tracy Hutchinson, Neil Donahoe and Paul Cawte.

The Firebreak initiative aims to promote a culture of safety and teamwork among young people by demonstrating and encouraging positive life skills using fire service based activities as a method of delivery. Cassandra Swan and the team visited other services and agencies to develop the programme, secured resources, selected the team and helped to train them.

BLFRS Area Commander Dave Fothergill said :

"The scheme has been a great success and had a positive impact on all of the young people involved. It's a credit to all of our personnel that had responsibility for the design and delivery of the scheme that the young people came back day after day and participated fully and enjoyed the course. We now have plans to run more courses and are working with our partner agencies to identify over 60 young people that could benefit from attending future courses."

"The awards represent the value of our frontline staff from all the partner agencies and recognises those that go the extra mile to ensure our communities are safe and attractive places to live and work. The schemes and projects rewarded are a credit to all those involved for which they should be justifiably proud."

Nicola Perry, CDRP Partnership Manager, added: “It is great to know we have such dedicated people supporting local residents and taking a pride in Luton, making it a safer place for all of us.”