Joining forces with SoLUTiONs

Partners from SoLUTiONs, Luton's Community Safety Partnership, joined forces last Wednesday (21 July) for an Environmental Action Day (EAD) in the Lewsey area.

A combined council force - including officers from Housing, Community Safety, Environmental Services, Parks and Highways - merged their powers with Bedfordshire Police and Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service to successfully tackle issues in Lewsey.

Two teams blitzed the area, recording issues including potholes, graffiti, fire risks, unlicensed and abandoned vehicles, weeds, rubbish and fire hazards and, most importantly, noting comments from residents. Nearly 70 items were prioritised for action, particularly trip hazards on footpaths and in the Regis Road park which will be sorted out as soon as possible.

Every Environmental Action Day is designed to target all elements of environmental crime including nuisance vehicles and on-street rubbish dumping, along with wider crime related issues such as arson. Residents raised particular concerns about a few properties piling up waste in their front gardens, and these households were reminded about the council's free collection service - tel: Luton 01582 510333.

Cllr Mohammed Ashraf, member responsible for community safety, said: "The SoLUTiONs partnership was delighted to find the Lewsey area much improved compared to previous years' exercises with a 50 per cent drop in recorded problems and an improved general appearance. It's good to see local people and SoLUTiONs working together to help improve the environment, reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and improve public safety."

Dave Fothergill, Area Commander for BLFRS, said: "Taking part in a partnership activity which makes a real difference to the lives of those we serve is a great opportunity for firefighters to demonstrate that we are working, every day, to keep people safe. We are there when you dial 999, but we want to help prevent fires as well."

For more information about soLUTiONs, go to www.luton.gov.uk/solutions or call Michèle Brawley on 01582 546231.

b-live links school children to fire and rescue service

Photo caption: pupils in action and the whole party with Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller and Tanja Kuveljic, Managing Director of b-live (who made presentations of certificates together)

An interactive web site aimed at schoolchildren has been used by Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service to get across critical information.

Young people logging on to the social club part of the site are encouraged to think about home fire and road safety - and even look ahead to a career in the fire and rescue service.

A special summer home fire safety competition hosted on www.b-live.com led to more than 380 entries being received and judged by Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller. The top students were rewarded with a visit to a fire station - complete with firefighter training.

Said CFO Fuller: “This is useful way of using modern methods of communication, a special, safe social network site, to engage with young people in schools and get across some key messages. We welcomed all the entries and wanted to invite the winners to one of our stations to let them see for themselves the importantance of fire safety.

“We also hope that it will set the seeds of an idea about a career in the modern Fire and Rescue Service - especially among the girls who, despite our greatest efforts, continue to be under represented in our ranks.”

Middle School pupils from Daubeney in Kempston; Marston Vale, Stewartby and Holywell in Cranfield travelled from Fire HQ in Kempston to Luton Fire Station to be met by the BLFRS team of Jane Clarke and Watch Commander Alan Gayter and colleagues from Green Watch.

Jane, aided by Firefighters Dawn Hakewill and Ryan Humphrey, gave the pupils a lesson in home fire safety, including a tour of the “hazard house” in which various fire risks are demonstrated. She also showed them a dramatic film called Front Room Fire which shows how a lounge can become an inferno just three minutes after a match is dropped on to a sofa.

After a tasty lunch in the firefighters’ mess desk, the pupils then dressed up in mini firefighter outfits and were shown how to crawl through a darken series of corridors, clamber up the training tower, run out a heavy hose and fire jets of water.

Co-ordinator of the event was BLFRS Service Improvement Manager Prue Canham, she said: “As part of the competition we asked the young people to come up with slogans for fire safety and we were really pleased at the quality of those produced.”

The winning students were presented with their certificates by CFO Fuller and Managing Director of The b-live Foundation Tanja Kuveljic who said: “Working with organisations like BLFRS is fundamental to helping us achieve our mission of supporting the development of young people. We are delighted to work in partnership with BLFRS to help local young people appreciate, and counter, the risks that fire can present to their own safety as well as that of their local communities.”

Beware playing with fire

The success of Arson About continues. This is a professional play staged in schools across the county through the sponsorship of Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service.

The dramatic production brought home to thousands of young people, who were in the final weeks of school before the summer holidays, the dangers of playing with fire.

Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller has previously applauded the success of Arson About. He said: “This is tried and tested, cost-effective and engaging way to get across to young people how playing with fire can led to tragedy.

“Some 60% of fires in the UK are started deliberately. We do not believe here in Bedfordshire that young people are responsible for all arsons. But a significant number of bin fires, field fires and similar incidents are caused by young people who do not realise that they are putting their own and others’ lives at risk by playing with fire.

“With the summer holidays upon us, we hope that the messages put across in Arson About will stay with those who have seen it - and that they will remember it in the weeks and months to come.”

Extracts from the production can viewed on www.stopwatchtheatre.com

Arson About was staged in the following schools thanks to BLFRS:

Putteridgebury High, Luton
Robert Bruce, Kempston
Sandy Middle, Sandy
Caddington Village, nr Luton
Robert Bloomfield, Shefford
Abbey, Elstow PHOTOGRAPHS ATTACHED
Brooklands, Leighton Buzzard
Margaret Beaufort, Riseley
Alameda, Ampthill
Henlow Middle, Henlow
Alba, Gt Barford
Harrold Middle, Harrold
Millvale, Dunstable
Priory, Dunstable
Daubeney, Kempston
Fulbrook, Woburn Sands
Ashcroft High, Luton
Cardinal Newman, Luton
Marston Vale, Stewartby
Barnfield South Academy, Luton
Linslade, Leighton Buzzard
Streetfield, Caddington nr Luton
Holywell, Cranfield
Holmemead, BIggleswade
Etonbury, Arlesey
Leighton Middle, Leighton Buzzard
Gilbert Inglefield, Leighton Buzzard
Goldington Middle, Bedford
Kings Houghton, Houghton Regis
Arnold, Barton le Clay
Stopsley High, Luton
Newnham, Bedford
Edward Peake, Biggleswade
St Gregory’s, Bedford
Westfield, Bedford

Bedford River Festival July 17th + 18th

Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service will be on parade at the Bedford River Festival on Saturday and Sunday July 17th and 18th.

A fire engine and aerial platform will be leading the display of vehicles through the town centre to the resting place of the Horne Lane car park.

Crews will also be meeting the public by the Butterfly Bridge on The Embankment to give out home fire safety advice and they will put on kitchen fire demonstrations - shocking crowds who will see how fat or oil can erupt into flames given the wrong circumstances. Most fires in homes in Bedfordshire start in the kitchen - so ‘take care when cooking’ is the message.

In addition the road traffic collision safety van and a fire engine will be parked there too so people can see just some of the equipment used by the Fire and Rescue Service everyday.

BLFRS Volunteers will be joining the firefighters to conduct some questionnaires asking people what they think about their local Fire and Rescue Service.

Meanwhile farther along the river beyond the Town Bridge, the BLFRS Rescue Boat will be stationed ready to zoom into action if there any reports of anyone getting into difficulty in or around the water. Water rescue is an important service offered by BLFRS.

On the big tv screens posted around the River Festival site, Northern Area Commander Tony Rogers will be seen welcoming people to the show.

Howzat for partnership working!

BLFRS supported the STUMPS Cricket Festival in June, with teams of young players from all over Luton taking part. STUMPS (Seven a side Tournament Uniting Multicultural People in Sports) was organised by Luton Borough Council’s Community Development Service.

The event was a huge success with Kingsway Cricket Club emerging as the eventual winners, beating favourites Challney Boys in a gripping final that went all the way to the last over.

Along with the hotly contested 20/20 cricket action, there was a range of other family activities including indoor games, art and craft displays, refreshments and fire safety leaflets were handed out to the crowds.

BLFRS sponsored the trophies, which were presented to the winning team by Deputy Mayor of Luton Cllr Mohammed Farooq.

Area Commander Dave Fothergill said “This is another great example of partnership working at its best and we hope to be able to support the event next year.”