Fire Station Open Days - in your neighbourhood

Children, parents and grandparents can get a close look at fantastic fire engines, talk to firefighters and get some tips which could save their lives in the future.

Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service Chief Paul Fuller says: “Our fire stations belong to the local community and we want people to come along and get to know their local firefighters.

“These Open Days are a great opportunity to learn more about how we as an organisation serve the public and for the public in turn to give us some vital feedback about what more we can do to help them.

“We now call these our COMMUNITY fire stations because we want organisations and groups to make use of the meeting rooms when they are not occupied by our own staff. So come along and have a great FREE day out.”

A vital FREE service offered by the local fire service is Home Fire Safety Checks which can include the fitting of free smoke alarms. To book a visit contact 0800 043 5042.

For full addresses of fire stations go to www.bedsfire.com


Stopsley Saturday September 18th 2pm - 4pm

Dunstable Sunday September 19th 2 pm - 4 pm (Macmillan Coffee Afternoon to raise money for cancer charity being hosted by Community Fire Safety Staff)

Harrold Saturday September 25th 1pm - 4pm

Ampthill Saturday September 25th 1pm to 4 pm (Macmillan Coffee Afternoon to raise money for cancer charity being run by volunteers)

Luton Saturday September 25th 2 pm - 4 pm (Macmillan Coffee Afternoon to raise money for cancer charity being hosted by Community Fire Safety Staff)

Blazing Saddles

An inspiring talk by a Bedfordshire firefighter about the lives which have been saved in Kenya by the donation of a Bedfordshire fire engine has inspired a charity cycle called Blazing Saddles.

Ray Willett, Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service Transport and Engineering Manager, and retained firefighter, gave a talk to Stotfold Salvation Army about his visit to Kenya to hand over the fire engine and the subsequent return visit to Kempston of one of the African firefighters. So impressed were the group that they decided to try and help raise some money to support the project further, and Blazing Saddles was on the road.

At 8 am on Saturday September 4th Roy Scott and friends will pedal from Kempston to Shefford fire stations, a distance of about 20 kilometres. Anyone who would like to join them, or make a donation, can contact the team on 01462 730348 or tubalationsuk@gmail.com

*Photo Roy Scott, coordinator for event photo with the bike second on the right (red helmet) and friends at Kempston station.

Press Release Spring 2010

A fire engine donated to a town called Meru in Kenya is already helping to save lives in the African country.

Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service and the Combined Fire Authority decided to donate a vehicle, which was going out of service, and it was handed over in April 2009. Now one of the Kenyan firefighters who rides that truck is in the UK receiving top level training from BLFRS:

Joseph Githuka Njoroge, aged 27, is an electrician by trade and is one of ten firefighters who crew the fire applicance in Meru.

He arrived in UK on the weekend of March 6th 2010 and began activity on at Kempston fire station a few days later.

He has been on a series “shouts” with firefighters to see a top British fire team in action

After work he is spending time with friends from Dunstable Community Church* which was involved in the original idea of donating a fire engine to the town of Meru.

After BLFRS donated the vehicle last year, Transport and Engineering Manager and retained firefighter Ray Willett and colleagues joined representatives from the Dunstable church in travelling to Kenya to train the local firefighters and teach how to look after the vehicle.

Without a fire pump, firefighters are unable to operate. In the past other brigades have donated trucks to countries overseas, but soon they are off the road through lack of engineering expertise to keep them functional. Ray recognised this problem and so he and two colleagues (BLFRS workshops technician Michael Yawn and retained firefighter and AA man Colin Sheldon), at their own expense, travelled to Kenya to give the local firefighters some training.

There they met Joseph who was keen to learn more - and so arrangements were made for him to come back to the UK.

Speaking alongside his new friends at BLFRS, Joseph said: “We were very happy to receive the fire engine in Meru it already gets us to fires and accidents quicker and with better equipment.

“When I get back to Meru my challenge will be to keep the crew training, always training. As the firefighters do here in Bedfordshire.”

During his seven weeks here Joseph is undertaking a range of training from the workshops where he will learn to keep the fire truck on the road through: First Aid, Water Rescue, Line Rescue, Road Traffic Collisions, Community Safety, Small Equipment Maintenance, Personal Fitness and Driving.

Said Ray Willett: “I would like to say a big thank to all those for helping with Joe’s training and for giving him such a fantastic experience in the UK. He is just soaking up the information and really enjoying being part of BLFRS.”

*Joseph left UK on April 22nd - he spent his final few days at Dunstable fire station close to his friends at the Dunstable Community Church.

New Deputy Chief Fire Officer joins BLFRS

Glen Ranger MBS DipBE MIFireE
New Deputy Chief Fire Officer for
Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service

A new Deputy Chief Fire Officer has joined the team at Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service.

Glen Ranger has worked in three other brigades, most recently as Deputy at Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service.

BLFRS Chief Paul Fuller said: "Glen brings a wide range of experience in the modern Fire and Rescue Service and that will be helpful as we face the challenges ahead.

BLFRS has three Assistant Chief Fire Officers - two from operational backgrounds: Robert Hull and Julian Sears, plus HR lead Zoe Evans.

“We have a great team here and Glen is already making useful contributions to our plans for the future,” added Chief Fuller.

Glen Ranger was born in London in 1962. Following service with the Armed Forces (Army), Glen's Fire and Rescue Service career began in Oxfordshire in 1989 where he served as a Firefighter, Leading Firefighter and Sub Officer. In 1996 he was promoted to Station Officer (Rider) with Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, where he served for five years, becoming an Area Commander in North Essex. In October 2001, Glen moved to Warwickshire serving in Operations, Community Fire Safety and Support Services before becoming Warwickshire's Deputy Chief Fire Officer.

Glen holds a Masters Degree in Business, a Diploma in Business Excellence and the Members Diploma of the Institution of Fire Engineers. He has completed the Prime Minister's Top Management Programme at the National School of Government, which is the principal management development programme for senior civil servants, senior executives and academics.

Glen was awarded the Fire Service's Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 2009 following twenty years of loyal service spanning three Fire and Rescue Authorities.

Glen is married to Ann, and has two children Luke and Jessica.

Like all operational firefighters and principal officers, Glen lives within a short distance of any FRS incidents.

“Firefighters are here to serve the community and that means being available whenever we are needed by the public who dial 999 when faced with life-threatening situations,” said Deputy Ranger,

“Our priority is providing a top quality emergency and community safety service, capable of dealing with any incident, but one which crucially prevents fires and road accidents occurring in the first place.

“Making sure our frontline firefighters are kept clear of unnecessary risks is always a fundamental part of our investment in our training programmes. We All Come Home is a key safety message which is embraced on all our fire stations.

“I am proud to have been appointed as the Deputy Chief Fire Officer for Bedfordshire and Luton, and I look forward to building upon the excellent work already undertaken by the service.”

Fire Station Open Days - in your neighbourhood

Children, parents and grandparents can get a close look at fantastic fire engines, talk to firefighters and get some tips which could save their lives in the future.

Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service Chief Paul Fuller says: “Our fire stations belong to the local community and we want people to come along and get to know their local firefighters.

“These Open Days are a great opportunity to learn more about how we as an organisation serve the public and for the public in turn to give us some vital feedback about what more we can do to help them.

“We now call these our COMMUNITY fire stations because we want organisations and groups to make use of the meeting rooms when they are not occupied by our own staff. So come along and have a great FREE day out.”

A vital FREE service offered by the local fire service is Home Fire Safety Checks which can include the fitting of free smoke alarms. To book a visit contact 0800 043 5042.

For full addresses of fire stations go to www.bedsfire.com

Potton Saturday September 4th 10 am - 2pm

Bedford Sunday September 5th 1 pm - 4 pm (Car boot sale for related charity at nearby Aspects car park, off Barker’s Lane. Discount on advance booking ring 01234 245502 . Or turn up at 12 noon to set up: £7 cars £10 vans. Public from 1pm)

Shefford Saturday September 11th 10am 3 pm

Sandy Sunday September 12th 10am - 3pm

Stopsley Saturday September 18th 2pm - 4pm

Dunstable Sunday September 19th 2 pm - 4 pm (Macmillan Coffee Afternoon to raise money for cancer charity being hosted by Community Fire Safety Staff)

Harrold Saturday September 25th 1pm - 4pm

Luton Saturday September 25th 2 pm - 4 pm (Macmillan Coffee Afternoon to raise money for cancer charity being hosted by Community Fire Safety Staff)

999 services drive home road safety to young

Young people joined an action packed week of activities with 999 emergency services driving home safety messages from Police, Ambulance and Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service.

The finale was reconstruction of a car accident and rescue, with Ambulance, Fire and Police working together to rescue the “car crash victim”, cutting open the car, removing the roof and safely removing the “victim” by stretcher to a waiting ambulance.

Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller and High Sheriff of Bedfordshire Daniel Hanbury attended the demonstration and met the young people.

CFO Paul Fuller said: “This week has been an excellent example of how the emergency services work closely together to keep people safe and to work with communities and young people to get safety messages across. The Fire and Rescue Service rescues 7 times as many people from road accidents as from fires and so the demonstration is a reminder of the importance of safety on the roads, whether walking, cycling or driving."

Young people aged 11-14 had signed up for the safety week during their school holidays. First Aid, road safety, crime scene investigation and finger printing all proved a hit and many of the youngsters were now thinking of careers with police, fire and ambulance services.

Their comments say it all……

“I enjoyed everything about the week, but I liked watching the 999 accident best because it was interesting and good seeing what actually happens at a road traffic collision, it was a really fun week”.

“I learnt a lot, how to keep safe in a fire, about the paramedics, and how to do CPR, how to keep safe on the road and about the jobs the Police do”.

“I enjoyed squirting water from the fire engine. I also enjoyed learning about the Police”.

“I enjoyed everything this week especially seeing the car being cut up as I have not seen this in real life, and it was interesting to learn lots of new skills, like CPR and how to detect a fire”.

Sat 21 Aug fire crews offer BBQ safety advice

Firefighters are reminding people to think about safety measures when having a barbecue this summer.

Using fuels and gas cylinders around bbqs can pose particular hazards - especially when combined with a beer or two.

To this end fire crews from Bedford Fire Station will be outside the Tesco store in Goldington from 10 am - 4 pm on Saturday 21st August giving information on safer cooking in the great outdoors.

The same fire station houses the Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service boat which is used for water safety patrols and rescues. As the dangers of drowning increase in the summer when people decide to take the plunge in open waters like rivers and lakes, the Fire and Rescue Service is often the frontline service responding to 999 calls. The boat will be on display at Tesco with a reminder to people to think before jump into the drink, especially if they have been taking a drink.

“We don’t want to sound like Kill Joys but too often the mix of making merry and bbqs leads to added dangers,” said Area Commander Tony Rogers,

“Even without the alcohol factor some basic measures can help prevent fires and injuries arising from bbqs. We will be running a quiz on the day with a prize donated by Tesco.”

For those who cannot attend on the day: FREE home fire safety checks can be carried out by BLFRS staff by appointment. Contact 0800 043 5042 or go to www.bedsfire.com for more information.

Value of professional training

Time of Call 15.33 Tues Aug 17th to IBC Vehicles, Kimpton Road, Luton
chemical spill of what was believed to be 4 - 10 gallons of hydrochloric acid in boiler house.

Response: two fire engines Luton station, one from Stopsley station + Emergency Response Unit

Officer in charge Kevin Moores of Stopsley station

Haz Mats officer at scene (hazardous materials)

Police alerted
and Environment Agency (to ensure avoidance of chemical spillage getting into drains)

Two firefighters in chemical/airtight suits went into the building and were able to stem the leak. The firefighter suits were then decontaminated in a specialist shower container which makes up part of BLFRS equipment for dealing with chemical and similar incidents.

IBC will now conduct a site clean up operation using is own specialist staff.

BLFRS Group Commander Chris Adams said: "The acid was in a tank which was protected by a wall to prevent any spread of spillage. The incident was dealt with swiftly and professionally by the teams on site."

Blue Light services applaud young people

Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service was last year the FIRST FRS in the UK to sponsor the “Yopeys” - Young People of the Year Awards.

This year, BLFRS is joining forces with Beds Police and the local Ambulance Trust to brand them the “Blue Light” Yopeys in Bedfordshire.

The cost-effective partnership move demonstrates activity in a key target area for BLFRS - encouraging young people to lead safer lives.

Also supporting the Yopeys in Bedfordshire are: Central Bedfordshire Council, Luton Borough Council, Bedford College and Bedford-based Blue Arrow recruitment agency . The six-month campaign will culminate in an awards ceremony to be staged at the Mansion House at Shuttleworth Park, Beds in December.

There is now a national network of Yopeys and they have come to the attention of Number Ten. New Prime Minister David Cameron has praised Yopey, saying of winners: “their common trait was their own determination; their desire to succeed; and their resolve to make a difference”.

As well as kudos, there are cash prices for those judged to be the best with £2,000 for young Bedfordshire people, aged 10-25, to win. Prizes include £1,000 for the Young Person of the Year and £250 Junior Young Person of the Year for the best entry aged up to 15.

Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller said: "Working with young people is one of the key aims of our service. We want to help them keep themselves, and their families, safe from fire in their homes, and we want to encourage them to keep themselves, and their friends, out of danger on the roads.

"We hope the Fire and Rescue Service brand and the reputation of its firefighters will be an inspiration to young people."

Founder Tony Gearing, a former national newspaper journalist who set up YOPEY to give young people a fairer image, said: “This year's YOPEY is already feeling like part of that Big Society the new Government is talking about with so many different organizations involved. Now we need more people, teachers, parents, youth workers, to get involved and nominate young positive role models they know.”

* Do you know a young person who goes that extra mile to help others and deserves recognition and the chance to win a cash prize? Nominees must be aged between 10-25, live, study, or work in Bedfordshire, and give to others in this country or abroad. To nominate log on to www.yopey.org or write to Young People of the Year, PO Box 103, Hare Street, Ware, SG9 OXD, enclosing an SAE, for an entry form. Young people can nominate friends or themselves.

Action taken to stop road deaths with Xccelerate

Every year in the United Kingdom more than 647 people aged between 17 and 25 are either killed or seriously injured in road crashes.

Brake, a road safety charity, says while only one in eight drivers in the UK is aged 25 or under, one in three drivers who die on the roads is in that same age group.

Over-confidence, poor hazard perception skills and general inexperience can all lead to making bad decisions and putting driver lives, or the lives of other road users or passengers, at risk.

To try and tackle these issues Xccelerate (brand name spelling), a comprehensive pre-driver training education programme, has been developed by Bedford Borough Council in conjunction with Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service.

Xccelerate is a thought-provoking programme that encourages responsible attitudes and behaviour whether as a driver or passenger in any vehicle and is targeted at teenagers before they learn to drive. The course offers a selection of workshops including practical driving so young people can experience first hand what it is like to drive a car in safe, controlled surroundings with a professional driving instructor.

Councillor Charles Royden, Portfolio Holder for the Environment and Transport, said: “Far too many young people die on roads across the UK every year. Although many are killed in tragic accidents there is still more we can do to prepare young people for the challenges they will face when out on the roads.

“By spending time with young people before they start learning to drive I believe we can plant a seed to make sure they understand the great responsibilities that are upon them when they get behind the wheel.”

Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service Northern Area Commander Tony Rogers said: “All too often our crews see at first hand the tragic consequences of road traffic collisions.

“In fact we rescue seven times as many people from road traffic incidents as we do from fires. A large number of these road accidents involve young drivers. One of our key priorities is working with young people to keep them safe, so we see this as a valuable project to support.”

Free places were offered on the course via Facebook. It was staged at Kempston Fire Station and BLFRS Training Centre. Photos show young people taking part on 27th July.

Smoke alarm and swift action saves lives

Firefighters from Dunstable (two fire engines), Toddington ( one fire engine and Incident Command Unit) and Luton (Aerial Platform) attended a house fire at Benning Avenue, Dunstable on Monday night (2nd August).

At 20.29 the Bedfordshirea and Luton Fire and Rescue Service Fire Control at Kempston received a call from saying a woman and children had fled the house after fire started in an upstairs bedroom of the semi-detached property.

The fire quickly spread to the roof requiring Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service to make use of the aerial platform to put out the flames.

In total 12 Breathing Apparatus, two hoses and one jet were used. The fire was quickly put out, but firefighters remained at the scene for more than two hours in total to assist with 'making safe' at the scene.

Dunstable Community Fire Station Commander Mark Barter said: "No one required rescuing as the family followed the standard advice of having a working smoke alarm, which alerted them to fire, and then they following the routine of: 'Get out and call the fire service out'.

“That way they were safe, which is the most important outcome in any incident.

"The Fire and Rescue Service is here to save lives - we do that by making sure people are protected from fire risks in their home or place of work, by preventing fires starting through education and encouraging people to have an understanding of risks, and when all else fails, by responding in minutes to 999 calls.

"The best way to make sure your family is safe is to have a working smoke alarm. Please check yours today.”

*Cause of fire - accidental

Emergency Services drive home road safety messages to young

Firefighters will cut open a car to rescue a “car crash victim” in a reconstruction at Kempston Fire Station on Friday 6th August (11.30 am), to drive home the importance of safety on the roads.

Young people aged 11-14 have signed up for Summer Safety Week hosted by Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service and other 999 organisations during the school holidays.

Summer Safety Week is a 999 action-packed week involving police, fire and ambulance emergency services where young people will learn about individual responsibility, community safety and reducing road risk.

The finale on Friday 6th August will see firefighters demonstrating a car being cut open to rescue an “injured victim”. The demo hits home the message of the importance of safe driving. Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller and High Sheriff of Bedfordshire Daniel Hanbury will attend the demo and meet the young people who have taken part in the week’s events.

Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller said: "The Fire and Rescue Service has an important role to play in promoting road safety. Firefighters rescues seven times as many people from crashed cars, and other vehicles, as they do from burning buildings. We work closely with other agencies in a variety of ways to reduce road deaths and injuries and will continue to do so - particularly with young people who sadly are the age group most likely to be involved in accidents.

"We think it is important to get across ALL safety messages over to young adults in a way which will interest them - so this 999 week is an ideal, especially as it involves our partners in the police, ambulance and other agencies."

Editor's notes

(1) Issued by Manners PR on behalf of Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service.
(2) Photographs available.
(3) For more info contact Sue Gough of Manners PR on 07921 514 940.
(4) Media welcome on Friday 6 August for the demo at 11.30 am.
Kempston Fire Station, Southfields Rd, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 7NR.