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FIREFIGHTERS
NEWS
Targeted Response Vehicles (TRVs)
Nepal Charity Car Wash
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service has
launched two new-style appliances that will
target smaller, low risk incidents, such as rubbish
fires, across the area. Although these types of
incident generally present a lower risk to the
public and firefighters, they currently account for
over 70% of total incidents attended by
conventional fire engines, and also peak in the
evenings.
These new Targeted Response Vehicles (TRVs)
will attend lower risk incidents between the
hours of 6pm and midnight. It is expected that
they will be able to deal effectively with up to
70% of the low risk incidents, with traditional fire
appliances attending the more serious and life-
threatening.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Dunstable
Green Watch Firefighters raised £615 during the
Charity Car Wash that was held at Dunstable Fire
Station on 18 May 2015.
The car wash was in support of Clive and
Heather Wilkinson (foreground in attached
photograph) and their fund raising efforts to aid
relief to the devastated areas of Nepal that
suffered damage in the recent earthquakes. Clive
had been a long time crew member at Dunstable.
Meet the Chief
Rolling Thunder is a storming success!
Paul Fuller - Chief Fire Officer QFSM MSc BSc FIFireE
MInstLM
Paul Fuller joined the Fire Service in 1978 and worked
for West Midlands, West Sussex, Staffordshire and
Wiltshire before becoming Chief Fire Officer at
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2002, also
spent nine months seconded as Chief Fire Officer to
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2009.
He became a Fellow of the Institute of Fire Engineers
in 2008 and is Chair of CFOA Services Limited, deputy
Chair of Fire Sector Federation, CFOA past President
and Trustee of the national charity the Children’s Burns
Trust. He holds an MSc in Human Resources
Management, Bachelor of Science in Fire Safety
Technology and Management.
He is also a member of the Bedfordshire St John
County Priory Group, the Police Partnership Board,
the Strategic Steering group for the Regional and
World Children’s Burns Camp, and Chair of the
Bedfordshire and Luton Chief Executive Forum.
In 2008 he received the Queens Fire Service Medal for
exemplary service and was made a Freeman of the
City of London in 2012.
“Like all Fire Services,” he says, “Bedfordshire needs
to be innovative, making less go further every year and
finding new ways to provide our services, protect the
public and improve safety.
“Perhaps our biggest innovation has been introducing a
24 hour duty system for our firefighters. This gave us
better control over their off-duty rest periods and
gave Watch and Crew Commanders greater
responsibility.
“We have a well-established Fire Cadet Scheme at
Sandy, thanks to the support of the Town Council, and
are currently expanding it across the county.
“In conclusion I’d like to mention that 2016 will see
the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London,
perhaps the keystone in the history of firefighting in
the country and especially relevant to the WCoFF. We
should perhaps not only look back over the incredible
progress made since that terrible tragedy, but also
look forward to future innovations in protecting the
public and making firefighting even safer.
Over a period of three days in March, the largest
National Resilience scenario took place called ‘Rolling
Thunder’, hosted by Devon & Somerset Fire &
Rescue, National Resilience team. The incidents
included Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), High
Volume Pump, Enhanced Logistics Support and Mass
Decontamination, Detection identification and
Monitoring teams. Rolling thunder was attended by 20
Fire and Rescue Services National Resilience teams
from all over the UK, along with Devon & Cornwall
Police Disaster Victim Identification, HART, the Royal
Air Force and Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue
Service local crews.