Christmas celebrations are an excuse to have fun, not an excuse for a fire.

With Christmas fast approaching East Sussex Fire & Rescue service are urging residents of East Sussex and Brighton & Hove to ensure that their festive arrangements will not place them at risk of having a fire. Steve Wright for the Service’s Community Fire Safety section says:-

Fire safety is the last thing on your mind when you’re celebrating.
But think about it – lots of guests, Christmas decorations, people smoking – all the everyday risks get bigger.

Don’t let fire safety stop you enjoying yourself – identify the risks and plan ahead.

Decorative Lights

Decorative lights don’t get used every day so give them a bit of extra thought.

• Check the maximum amps that can be handled by the plug.
• If bulbs blow replace them.
• Turn decorative lights off at night and when you go out.
• Don’t let bulbs touch anything that can burn easily like paper or fabric.

Candles Treat candles as you would any other flame. Don’t leave them unattended. Put them out completely at night.

Decorations

• Use your common sense and keep decorations and greeting cards away from heaters, lights, the fireplace and candles.

Having A Party

Do yourself and your visitors a favour—don’t leave fire safety to the morning after!

• Let your guests know where to find door and window keys.
• Look out for elderly people, children and anyone with problems getting out.
• Make sure exits are kept clear.
• If people are smoking put out extra ashtrays and make sure all cigarettes are put out properly.

Remember --- it’s easy to be careless when you are tired or have been drinking.

To be sure your home is safe the Service will carry out a FREE Home Safety Visit and where necessary fit Smoke Alarms free of charge. To take advantage of this service call the dedicated Home Safety line on 0845 2300252

Stay safe and have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. [Steve Wright]

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Fire - Rystwood Road, Forest Row

Over 50 firefighters from East Sussex, West Sussex and Kent worked together to battle a fire in a detached domestic property in Rystwood Road, Forest Row in the early hours of Tuesday 6th December 2005. A single call was received by East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service at 0221 hrs by a local resident reporting a fire in a house. Due to the information given by the caller 3 appliances were mobilised from Forest Row, East Grinstead and Uckfield and on arrival found the roof, first and second floors of the property to be fully alight.

Crews on scene immediately called for further assistance and in total 6 pumping appliances, an Aerial Ladder Platform from Tunbridge Wells and a Bulk Water Carrier from Burgess Hill attended. During the fire fighting operations part of the buildings roof collapsed and the attendance of the building control officer from Wealden District Council was required.

[Dick Broady]

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Exercise Second Refine, SMR Limited, Rye

The Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 (COMAH) require both the on-site and the off-site emergency plans made under the regulations to be revised and tested at least once every three years. Therefore on Sunday 4th December 2005 the operator of the SRM Ltd, Rye Harbour hosted a live multi-agency major emergency exercise named Exercise Second Refine in order to test both plans. The main objectives being:- To exercise the co-ordination and integration of the emergency response. To exercise the tactical and operational elements of the response. To exercise the notification and communications arrangements for the responding agencies. To examine procedures for warning and informing the public.

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In addition to SRM Ltd employees, East Sussex Fire, Police, Ambulance crews took part with the support of the Bexhill & Rother Primary Care Trust, the Environment Agency, Rother District Council and East Sussex County Council.

The scenario was as realistic and credible as possible. Participants received no prior notification of the scenario and were expected to respond according to:-

• the SRM, Rye On-site Emergency Plan,
• the COMAH Off-site Emergency Plan, Operation Refine and
• individual service protocols and guidelines.

An accident was staged involving a lorry and a tanker resulting in a fire and chemical spill. Fire crews rescued casualties from the area and used 1-7 foam compound to contain the imaginary fire. Casualties were then treated and decontaminated by Sussex Ambulance Service.

The independent observers report concluded that the "Fire Service response to this exercise was efficient and well rehearsed." Exercises of this type play a vital role in improving cross service communication and preparing our crews for Major Incidents.

[Brian Dudman / Dick Broady]

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Fire - St Barnabas' Church, Bexhill

Next Image [click on image to view image gallery]		Crews from Bexhill, Hastings, Battle and Eastbourne were called to one of Bexhill-on-Sea's largest churches, St Barnabas on Monday 21st November 2005 at 14:47 on reports that a fire had broken out on the ground floor. Initially four pumps were sent but this was raised to six when the blaze spread to the roof. The blaze was soon brought under control by using an Aerial Ladder platform and 1-7 Foam. Access to the fire was hampered due to the physical height and the construction of the church roof. Damage to the church was limited due to the early warning received by local residents and the rapid intervention of local crews. The cause of the blaze is currently being investigated.

[Derek Masson / images Brian Wembridge]

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Fire Control operators actions praised

Fire Control Operator Sue Ivatt has this weekend received a Chief Fire Officer's Letter of congratulations in recognition for her part in saving the life of a suicidal woman. The letter stated that Sue's actions were of the "highest professional standard." Sue who has worked for East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service since 1993 was on duty in the Mobilising and Communications Centre in Eastbourne, when at 1130pm she received a call from a distressed woman threatening to jump from Beachy Head. Sue reassured the woman and kept her talking for one and a half hours until police units and the police helicopter located her sitting on the edge of the cliff. Sue stated after receiving the Chief Fire Officers letter that she was "extremely proud" but felt her colleagues would have done exactly the same if they had received the call for help.

Sue Ivatt

[Dick Broady]

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Invitation for Tender Applications

The South East Fire and Rescue Services Regional Management Board invites applications for inclusion in a list of tenderers to provide consultancy to support the implementation of an Integrated Workforce Learning, Development and Training Strategy within the region. Further details are available on the Invitation for Expression of Interest document [pdf - 140 KB].

[David Dowling]

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Fire - Wellingtonia Court, Laine Close, Brighton

At 0821 hrs today ESFRS received a call reporting smoke coming from Wellingtonia Court, Laine Close, Brighton. Initially two pumping appliances were mobilised and arrived to find smoke throughout the stairwell of the building. The building consisted of 35 flats on 5 floors and many of the occupants were unable to leave the premises. The first crew requested the assistance of a further 2 pumping appliances and an Aerial Ladder Platform.
Next Image [click on image to view image gallery]		The cause of the smoke was found to be a fire in the main electrical intake which had spread to the 2nd and 3rd floor electrical cupboards. During the operation 10 people were rescued by ladder, 2 by ALP and 5 were led to safety. A request was made for 50 people to be rehoused and this was passed to Brighton and Hove City Council by Emergency Planning Officer Brian Dudman. Both of the Counties Red Cross Fire and Emergency support vehicles attended to provide support and advice to residents.

[Dick Broady / images Brian Wembridge]

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Parliamentary Inquiry into the Fire & Rescue Service.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced on Tuesday 8th November 2005 that a Committee has been established to undertake an inquiry to examine a number of key issues with regard to the Fire & Rescue Service. In particular, the inquiry will consider the introduction of Regional Control Centres and the introduction and implementation of the Firelink radio service. The Committee will also look at progress made on implementation of reforms to the Fire & Rescue Service stemming out of the Government White Paper of June 2003 titled 'Our Fire & Rescue Service' [ODPM website].

The Committee that will undertake this inquiry are an established Parliamentary Committee whose remit is to undertake inquiries into any aspect of specific Government departments. This inquiry will be charged by Dr Phillis Starkey and is made up of a cross bench group of MPs. Evidence to the inquiry has to be submitted by 19th December 2005 and East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service are considering a response.

As a matter of further information, on 11th November 2005 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced that O2 Airwave Ltd have been awarded the contract for Firelink.

[Des Prichard]

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East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service working in Partnership with Apetito and East Sussex County Council to achieve a safer community

As part of its ongoing campaign to drive down risk in the community, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is working in partnership with East Sussex County Council and Apetito to arrange free Home Fire Safety checks.

Senior Fire Safety Officer Adrian Brown said: "This is an excellent example of partnership working. East Sussex County Council and Apetito already deal with very vulnerable people making sure they are safe in their homes on a daily basis. We will now be making sure that they are safe from fire supported by a Government initiative. We will also be able to fit, where necessary, FREE Smoke Alarms."

Statistics from the ODPM indicate that people over 60 are potentially at greater risk of injury from fire than other members of the public.

Smoke alarms give the earliest possible warning of fire therefore greatly increasing the chances of an individual escaping a fire situation safely, and consequently raising the alarm to the Fire & Rescue Service earlier, which aids in the reduction of fire damage to their property and belongings.

NOTE TO EDITORS

The partnership in the West of the county will be launched on the 10th of November at 11:00 at 37e South Street, Lewes - the home of 107 year old Mr Ronald Robinson. Local MP Mr Norman Baker (subject to availability) will also be present.

The partnership will be launched in the East of the county on the 11th of November at 10:30 at 30 Lichgate Close, Bexhill. The local MP Mr Greg Barker will attend (subject to availability).

Editors are welcome to send photographers to these venues.

[Steve Wright]

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Fireworks Campaign

With bonfire night fast approaching, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service and Sussex Police are issuing this timely reminder about the dangers associated with fireworks and to remind you of the firework safety code.

• Only buy fireworks marked British Standard 7114.
• Don't drink alcohol if setting off fireworks.
• Keep fireworks in a closed box.
• Follow the instructions on each firework.
• Light fireworks at arms length, using a taper.
• Stand well back.
• Never go near a firework that has been lit. Even if it hasn't gone off, it can still explode.
• Never put fireworks in your pocket or throw them.
• Always supervise children around fireworks.
• Light sparklers one at a time and wear gloves.
• Never give sparklers to children under five.
• Keep pets indoors.
• Don't let off noisy fireworks after 11pm

Statistics show that 139 injuries were directly caused through fireworks in the South East in 2004 and each year the number is growing. Nationally there were 1136 injuries resulting from firework incidents in 2003 and 1160 in 2004. Most of these incidents occur at the family home and involve rockets or sparklers. In 2004 East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service attended 17 fire incidents caused by fireworks.

The new firework regulations, which were introduced last year, make it an offence:

• To sell fireworks to under 18's.
• For anyone under the age of 18 to possess fireworks in a public place.
• To throw a firework in the street or any public place.
• To set off fireworks after 11.00 pm (midnight on November 5th, or 1.00 am following New Year's Eve, the Chinese New Year or Diwali).

Case History

Last Bonfire night, Chris O'Brian and her family were having a firework party at their home in East Grinstead when the base of a firework exploded and sent flares shooting out in all directions. One flare bounced off the house and landed on her daughter which caused serious 2nd and 3rd degree burns. Following a year of hospital treatment for her burns, Chris' daughter has now finished treatment. Chris is now campaigning to prevent the sale of fireworks to individuals and encourage people to attend well-organized displays instead.

[Mark Marsden / Bob Trotter]

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Serious fire caused by candle

Following an incident in the early hours of Tuesday morning, when a fire caused severe damage to a house in Michelson Close, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is issuing a warning about the dangers of using candles in the home.

Hastings Fire Station Manager Mark Webb said "It seems that people still do not realise how dangerous candles can be. Ideally we would prefer people not to use candles at all but, if they insist on doing so, then they should be extremely careful. Candles should always be placed on a stable surface (but never on a television), well away from anything flammable such as clothing or curtains, and they should always be in a proper candle holder. The most important thing though is to never, ever leave a candle unattended. Even if you're only going to be out of the room for a minute, they must be extinguished."

He continued "This fire had the potential to cause death or serious injury and demonstrates yet again the importance of having working smoke alarms fitted."

For a free Home Safety Visit from the Fire & Rescue Service, please call 0845 230 0252.

[Mark Webb]

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East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service Launches a New Road Safety Strategy

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS) has announced that it is to launch a new road safety strategy during national “Road Safety Week” which runs from the 7th to the 13th of November this year.

The strategy recognises the vital role the Fire & Rescue Service has in contributing to the wider community safety agenda and in particular to the reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads.

The strategy outlines how ESFRS will work in partnership with other agencies, in particular the City and County Councils, local councils and Sussex Police, supporting them to achieve Government set Public Service Agreement targets. The targets call for a 40 % reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured and a 50% reduction in the number of children killed or seriously injured by the year 2010 from the 1994-98 baseline average.

The strategy outlines the various education and awareness programmes which Service personnel will be involved with over the coming years. It also explains how the Service will seek to continually improve its emergency rescue capability for those occasions when it is needed.

Des Prichard, Chief Fire Officer & Chief Executive of ESFRS, says, "Our staff within East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service deal with the aftermath of road traffic collisions on a daily basis. It is only right therefore that we direct the appropriate resources towards trying to prevent such incidents. The focus of this strategy is to encourage and support partnership working with other agencies involved with road safety with the aim of making the roads safer for everyone."

As a way of demonstrating ESFRS commitment to the issue of road safety and in particular to show support for the theme of this years Road Safety Week, which is aimed at preventing child deaths and injuries on the roads, Mr Prichard has offered to undertake school crossing patrol duties at a school site in Seaford where East Sussex County Council have been unable to establish a permanent patrol.

David Bradley, Senior School Crossing Supervisor with East Sussex County Council says, "East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service contacted us following a local news item on which I explained the current difficulties we are facing in recruiting suitable people for school crossing patrol duties. They have offered to support our recruitment campaign and we are working on ways in which we can work together on this and other road safety issues. I think it is a fantastic reflection of the commitment of East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service to road safety and the safety of children in particular that the Chief Fire Officer himself has offered to help out in this way."

[Mark O'Brien]

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Third LIFE for Young People in East Sussex

Following two remarkably successful local pilots, 12 young people from Rother involved in, or at risk of becoming involved in, anti-social behaviour - whether it be in the form of fire setting or other acts in the community, alongside young victims of crime and teenagers with low self esteem - are to take part in East Sussex’s third LIFE project.

Local Intervention Fire Education, or LIFE, is a Fire Service project devised by London Fire Brigade in 2002 that seeks to improve fire safety and reduce anti-social behaviour amongst young people aged 13-19, and looks to improve the life chances of everyone who takes part.

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service’s LIFE projects are run by Station Manager Mani Gilbert, and Watch Manager George Wippich, and this third session will run from Monday 24 – Friday 28 October 2005.

LIFE’s aims are to reduce fire service call-outs, cut fire deaths and injuries, improve the safety of fire crews and the communities they serve and lower the financial cost of fires by engaging young people to tackle fire safety and anti-social behaviour issues.

ESFRS have already run two LIFE projects in June 2005, when 24 people took part in a unique range of activities including rescue techniques, using breathing apparatus and learning how to evacuate a building in case of fire. They were also taught to use firefighting equipment, run out hoses and learned how to maintain the fire engines and equipment.

Within just weeks of the courses ending one teenager from Bexhill, who attended the first project, managed to put the first aid skills he learned to use. On 22nd June Laurence Gilbert, 15, helped a fellow student at Bexhill High School after the 13 year old speared his arm on a fencepost. Deputy Chief Fire Officer Len Richards, who later presented the student with an award at his school, said that without Laurence’s actions the boy’s injuries could have become much more serious.

The course ends in a formal 'passing out parade' on Friday 28th October, when the families and friends of those taking part, alongside representatives from the Fire & Rescue Service, watch the young people demonstrate the practical skills they have learned and receive a certificate of achievement. Press are also invited to this ceremony which will be held at Bexhill Fire Station, Beeching Road.

Funding for the project comes from the Safer Rother Partnership, which works in partnership to prevent young people becoming involved in criminal activity and to reduce the impact of anti-social behaviour on our communities. The Partnership is proud to support ESFRS in this innovative and effective project. The feedback from young people and the agencies that work with them has shown us that this scheme builds confidence and provides them with a different perspective on their opportunities in the future. As we work with a partnership approach all referrals are made by a range of Rother-based agencies including the Youth Offending Team, Youth Development Service and Sidley Community Association.

During the pilot scheme trialled by London Fire Brigade there was:

• 96% attendance rate on the courses
• 90% non offending rate among participants six months after attending the course
• 46% reduction in non accidental fires across the borough
• 76% reduction in attacks on firefighters
• three young men helped into local community employment
• six people from ethnic minority backgrounds embarked on the fire service recruitment process
• one young man working as a probationary firefighter, and another in training
• five young people taking part in a mentoring scheme with firefighters
• 30 young people continuing to work with the fire service one night per week as part of the Achieving Safer Communities scheme

Safer Rother Partnership is a multi-agency body whose prime role is the reduction of crime and disorder, and to make the Rother area a safer place.

[Mani Gilbert / George Wippich]

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Building Collapse, 31 Caves Road, St Leonards

At 1938hrs on 13th October the Eastbourne based Mobilising and Communications Centre of East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service received a single call reporting that a building had collapsed in St Leonards. Three pumping appliances, two Operational Support Units and a Heavy Rescue Unit were immediately mobilised from across East Sussex to the address in Caves Road. On arrival the first crews found that the front of a two-storey building consisting of a shop with a flat above, had collapsed across the road. An immediate search to ascertain that no persons were trapped was made and adjoining buildings were evacuated. The crews also asked for the support of further appliances, an Aerial Ladder Platform and the Red Cross Fire and Emergency Support vehicle. Three occupants left the building and were assisted by the Red Cross and Hastings Borough Council.

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Fire crews stood by until 2220hrs when the incident was handed over to the Building Control Officer from Hastings Borough Council and the Police.

[Dick Broady / images - Brian Wembridge]

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Location Announcement of the South East Regional Control Centre

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service has today (Tuesday 11 October 2005) received notification from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) that the fire control centre for the South East Region, which encompasses East Sussex, will be located in Fareham, Hampshire.

Although the 'Fire Control' project is a national project being managed by ODPM, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service has worked on an ongoing regional basis with the ODPM, neighbouring fire and rescue services and other stakeholders throughout the process. Councillor Mike Murphy, the Chair of East Sussex Fire Authority said, "The Government is making these changes to improve resilience against all forms of disaster. We understand that this has been an uncomfortable time for many staff and the trade unions. Our priority is to focus on supporting our staff through this period of change."

Des Prichard, Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive of East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, said: "The Chief Fire Officers Association and the Local Government Association support the Government's plans for Regional Control Centres that deliver increased resilience, greater Service interoperability and provide value for money for local taxpayers. If the Government wish to deliver services in the way they describe then this must be a positive step forward. However, we will be looking for assurances about finance, governance and technology in the new ways of working." "As an employer, we are prioritising the needs of our staff who may be affected by the geographical location of the South East region control centre."

"Whatever steps we take in the future, our focus will as always, remain on ensuring that lives are not put at risk and that we are making East Sussex safer."

The transfer of emergency calls to Fareham, Hampshire will not take place until 2008/2009 at the earliest.

NOTE FOR EDITORS

1. The Fire Control project - the move to regional control centres - is the result of a review of fire and rescue control rooms by Mott MacDonald on behalf of central Government. The project forms part of the National Framework for the Fire and Rescue Service, which sets the objectives the Government expects the service to achieve. Copies of the framework and the Mott MacDonald report are available on the ODPM FireControl website.
2. The new RCC will serve Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Kent, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex, a geographical area of some 7,336 square miles and serving over eight million people.
3. The new Regional Control Centre for the South East will be located at Kite's Croft a 35 acre site located a short distance from junction 9 of the M27. The site is between Segensworth and Fareham in the heart of the Southampton / Portsmouth conurbation.

[Dave Dowling]

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Planning your Bonfire Safely

A serious incident occurred last night, Monday 10th October 2005 when two teenagers were badly burned after pouring a flammable liquid onto a bonfire in their back garden.

With less than a month until Firework night, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is reminding people about bonfire safety.

Senior Fire Safety Officer Adrian Brown said "Bonfires can be great fun but they need to be treated with care and, as the incident shows, never use flammable liquids like paraffin or petrol to get it going, as this can result in uncontrolled spread of fire or explosion."

The following advice applies to bonfires at Firework displays but is equally relevant to all bonfires.

Planning your Bonfire Safely

• Site your bonfire well away from any trees, bushes, buildings or sheds.
• Check immediately before lighting that there's no animal or even a young child hidden inside.
• Never put fireworks on a bonfire, even if they're dud.
• Don't burn dangerous rubbish (e.g. aerosols, paint tins or foam-filled furniture).
• Spectators need to be at a safe distance from the site.
• Never leave a burning bonfire.
• Don't allow any children to play with the fire.

If you would like further advice, please contact your local Fire Station or call our dedicated Community Fire Safety advice number: 0800 731 9119.

[Adrian Brown]

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Fire, Rother District Council and Police staff commit to safer driving in Sussex

East Sussex County Council recorded 302 road traffic collisions (RTCs) during 2004 in the Rother Area. These resulted in 390 casualties, nine of which were fatal. Although these figures show a significant reduction in the number of fatalities since the 2003 figure of thirteen, the number of crashes remains the same.

Every collision, injury or death has a huge impact on society. It of course has a large impact on the family and friends of the casualty, but also on the emergency service personnel that must attend the incident, on businesses though the loss of a valuable member of staff, and on other road users as a result of delays due to blocked roads. Each and every one of us is affected in some way.

Vulnerable roads users such as pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists are exposed to an increased risk from speeding vehicles, and therefore the enjoyment of these pastimes is reduced.

The Safer Rother Partnership is working to further reduce the number and impact of RTCs in the Rother area.

The Partnership’s initiative this Autumn is to encourage all Rother District Council, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service and Sussex Police employees, and Rother residents to sign a commitment to drive in a safe and considerate manner. The commitment is a leaflet which can be signed and sent off and will delivered to all staff during September 2005.

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service’s Station Manager Dave Yates, Chairperson of the Safer Roads Group said "The use of our roads and lanes as racetracks has got to stop. The commitment of all our staff to drive slower and with consideration will have a significant impact on our roads and lanes, making them feel safer for vulnerable road users such as children and the elderly. This initiative is available to all residents of the Rother area of East Sussex and I encourage all to sign up."

As well as being able to sign up to ‘The Commitment’, the leaflet also contains information, statistics and tips on how to keep speed down on the roads.

NOTE FOR EDITORS

Chief Executive Derek Stevens from Rother District Council, Senior Divisional Officer Gary Walsh from East Sussex Fire & Rescue and Acting Chief Inspector Martin Sims from Sussex Police will all be signing up to ‘The Commitment’ at it’s official launch at BEXHILL FIRE STATION on 30/9/05 at 1500 hrs. Safer Rother Partnership is a multi-agency body whose prime role is the reduction of crime and disorder, and to make the Rother area a safer place.

[Dave Yates]

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Battle Fire Station Open Day

Battle Fire Station held its annual Open Day on Saturday 17th September 2005. This event was designed to highlight the dangers on our roads. About 300 people attended. These were generally local people but there were visitors from London and Kent.

The visitors were exposed to displays and information arranged by East Sussex County Council who operated a sledge that highlighted the need to be restrained in a car at all times. Sussex Safer Camera partnership used a display vehicle, which emphasised driving at an appropriate speed. A local road safety group were able to demonstrate the educational SID (Speed Indication Device) that has been purchased by Battle Town Council. Volunteers will use this over the coming months to remind drivers of the speed limits around the town.

Battle Fire Fighters carried out a number of demonstrations involving cutting a car up and rescuing casualties. Station Manager Dave Yates commented, "This was a very successful day. The bulk of the rescue work carried out by Battle Fire Station is the release of persons that have become trapped in a motor vehicle following a Road Traffic Collision. Often inappropriate speed is a contributing factor."

"Every collision, injury or death has a huge impact on society. It of course has a large impact on the family and friends of the casualty, but also on the emergency service personnel that must attend the incident, on businesses though the loss of a valuable member of staff, and on other road users as a result of delays due to blocked roads. Each and every one of us is affected in some way."

"Events like these highlight the hazards and dangers associated with using our roads. All road users should examine their driving practices and consider what dangers they are exposing themselves and other road users too. This is especially so with children and the elderly. Remember in a collision with a child at 30 mph 80% survive, at 40mph 80% are killed."

[Dave Yates]

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Family saved by smoke alarm

A Brighton family had a lucky escape when a fire broke out under their stairs in the early hours of the morning whilst they were asleep. Fortunately their house was fitted with smoke alarms. Although the smoke alarm woke them up, when they got down stairs they were trapped by locked doors and windows. Their keys were not immediately available and the house was in darkness from the fire. Once they found the keys the family escaped unhurt.

Senior Fire Safety Officer Adrian Brown said, "Once again this fire shows that smoke alarms really do save lives, as without this early warning the fire could have had fatal consequences. As well as having smoke alarms I would also encourage everybody to have an escape plan so that you are not trapped by locked doors or windows."

The Fire & Rescue Service will carry out free home fire safety checks and where necessary fit free smoke alarms. To book a visit phone 0845 230 0252.

This fire was believed to have started due to an electrical fault and Fire Investigator Charles Humphries said, "This fire started around the electrical intake and quickly spread to other items stored under the stairs. I would advise all householders not to store goods too close to intakes such as these."

[Adrian Brown]

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Buckingham Place, Brighton

Next Image [click on image to view the image gallery]		At 9.43am on Friday 16th September 2005, over 70 firefighters attended an incident at 48 Buckingham Place, Brighton. Due to the severity of the fire, eleven crews from East Sussex and three crews from West Sussex were called to attend. Initial reports suggest a roof fire in a four-storey residential property converted into flats. All residents were safely evacuated from the building and no casualties were reported. The aerial ladder platform was used to reach the fire in the roof and 1:7 Foam was used to extinguish the flames.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Len Richards was in attendance and said: "It has been a difficult fire. We had strong winds to deal with this morning and the property is located on a very steep hill." Fire crews spent several hours damping down and checking for hot spots using a thermal image camera.

[Media Team / images Dick Broady]

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Storing Petrol

Due to the perceived threat of likely petrol shortages, the Fire Authority would like to offer the following information and advice to anyone who is considering storing petrol for their own use.

Senior Fire Safety Officer Adrian Brown said "At present there is no reason to believe that there will be any petrol shortage and our advice to members of the public is not to store any additional supplies. However, for those people that do, please remember, petrol is classed as HIGHLY FLAMMABLE and produces explosive vapour at room temperature – Treat it with care!"

The storage of petrol is highly regulated by law. This is because any leak of petrol can lead to an explosion or serious fire, particularly when a leak occurs within a building.

To avoid the primary causes of leaks, it is illegal for petrol stations to allow customers to fill any container which has not been designed and constructed for the purpose, and which does not display the approved wording and warning symbols.

It is also an offence (this time by the customer) to put more petrol in the container than the capacity of the container printed on the label. This is not unnecessary interference by Parliament: A mistake as simple as filling the container to the brim can place that person and their family in deadly danger. An air gap is needed because petrol expands so much when it gets warm (on a hot day, or in a centrally-heated house) that it can easily rupture the container, and cause a fire or explosion.

The amount of petrol that can be carried in a car is also restricted. This is to limit the scale of any fire which could result from a road accident. The maximum amount allowed in a car is two metal containers of ten (10) litres capacity or less, and two plastic containers of five (5) litres capacity or less.

At home, you can store up to fifteen litres of petrol in approved containers. However, as any fumes may cause cancer, storing petrol indoors is not recommended.

You must not store more than fifteen litres or store petrol in any containers with a capacity of more than ten (10) litres, without informing the Fire Authority and in most cases, applying for a Petroleum Licence.

[Adrian Brown]

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Belmore Road, Eastbourne

At 2100 hrs on Tuesday 6th September 2005, Crews from Eastbourne and Pevensey Fire Stations attended an incident at 25a Belmore Road, Eastbourne. Initial reports indicated that persons were trapped and crew entered the premise using breathing apparatus and hosereels. On doing so they confirmed that all residents had already been safely evacuated. Fire crews were detained for 3 hours damping down and checking for hot spots using a thermal image camera. A positive pressure ventilation fan was used to clear smoke from the premises. An investigation into the cause of the blaze took place using 'Sam', the hydrocarbon fire investigation dog.

[click on image for a larger version]

Some residents had to be temporarily re-housed by Eastbourne Council as a result of the blaze.

[Dick Broady]

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Eversfield Place, St Leonards

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At 2012hrs on Saturday 3rd September the Mobilising and Communications Centre received the first of 12 calls indicating a severe fire in the hallway that was spreading through the three floors of 28 Eversfield Place, St Leonards. The calls indicated that some of the residents were unable to escape from the property. Initially two pumping appliances and an Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP) were mobilised from Hastings. During the incident two persons were rescued from a balcony using the ALP and in all 8 pumping appliances and the Incident Command Unit from Lewes attended. Breathing apparatus was used during the incident. The Red Cross Fire Victim Support Unit also attended and gave support to residents throughout the incident. This new vehicle has only just been delivered to the Red Cross and was put through its paces on it's first incident. [Dick Broady]

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West Cliff Railway, Hastings

Following a power failure on the West Cliff Railway at 1422hrs on Friday 2nd September a call was received by the Mobilising and Communications Centre of East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service indicating that several people were stranded halfway up the cliff. The funicular railway operates as a twin car lift system between Hastings seafront and the top of the west cliff near Hastings castle. Two appliances were mobilised from Hastings and soon found that 25 adults and children were stuck in the lift. Having assessed the situation and that none of the people were in any danger or distress but were in a confined area on a hot day it was decided to walk them to the nearest platform with the aid of the rope rescue teams from Bexhill and Battle fire stations.

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In all 9 people were guided to the top of the cliff and 16 to the bottom each being harnessed and escorted by a member of the rope rescue team. The rescue was completed in 1hr 40 minutes with good humour and no lasting effects or injuries - some of the children involved wanted to do it again !

[Dick Broady]

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Child receives Serious Burns from Beach BBQ

Fire crews from Roedean station were called to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton yesterday at 17:30, after it was reported a person had been burnt.

On arrival they discovered a young boy aged three and a half, who had been taken to the hospital with severe burns.

It transpired that the little boy had been playing on Brighton Beach that afternoon and had stepped on scorching pebbles which had been heated by a disposable barbeque. He fell down due to the severe pain in his feet and then also burnt his bottom.

This must have been extremely painful and distressing for the child, and of course his family. East Sussex Fire and Rescue would like to remind anyone visiting beaches in the county that absolutely NO barbeques are allowed without a permit, and this example clearly demonstrates why.

Fire crews from Roedean went back to the beach to try and pinpoint the ‘hotspot’, but could not locate it.

Brighton and Hove City Council, along with other Local Authorities in East Sussex have advised anyone wishing to have a beach barbeque or party that there are certain regulations which must be adhered to, including:

• Permits must be obtained BEFORE an event takes place.
• Barbeques / parties must only be held in designated areas of the beach.
• Barbeques / parties can only take place during set times

For more information and relevant application forms please contact the appropriate local authority.

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ART Launch in East Sussex

In a single week in the UK, arson damages or destroys twenty schools and four places of worship, causes fifty-five injuries and two deaths, costs society over £40 million and brings suffering to the lives of all it touches.

Arson has become the fastest growing crime and is now the single main cause of fires in the UK. It is the crime of intentionally starting a fire in order to damage or destroy something, especially a building or vehicle. Over the last decade the number of arson incidents has more than doubled to over 2000 incidents a week. The Arson Control Forum was established to provide strategic direction to the Government led action to address the problem of deliberate fire-setting.

As a result the East Sussex Arson Reduction Team (ART) has been formed - a partnership between East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service and Sussex Police. The two emergency services will jointly pursue a strategy of preventing and detecting incidences of arson. The team have also planned an information exchange with their colleagues in the West Sussex Arson Task Force.

The East Sussex ART team is staffed by Fire Service Sub Officer Mark Marsden, Police Sergeant Gary Keating, Dog Handler Sarah Jones and Sam (an accelerant seeking spaniel), and Information Co-ordinator Sue Meredith. Since ART formed earlier this year they have so far attended over 40 significant arson scenes and been actively involved with a number of incidents :- a murder enquiry involving fire (Operation Kittiwake) supporting a large, multi-agency operation to close an unsafe building in Eastbourne (Operation Overlord) assisted in three significant arson investigations which have resulted in four people being charged by Sussex Police placing two youths on the Fire Setters Advisors Scheme the team are also part of a multi-agency arson reduction initiative on Ashdown Forest (Operation Hetzer) which includes ESFRS, Sussex Police and the Conservators of Ashdown Forest

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The ART partner services, alongside the DVLA and Local Authorities, are sponsoring Operation Crackdown, which is an abandoned vehicle removal operation for Sussex. It uses Police powers to have abandoned vehicles removed quickly, which reduces the likelihood of arson and criminal damage, as well as making communities safer. The East Sussex ART officially launched at this year's Eastbourne 999 weekend on 23rd and 24th July, on the Western Lawns in Eastbourne. The public had the opportunity to learn all about the newly formed ART, to meet the team and watch ART arena displays.

As well as being involved in incidents, the team have supplied all local schools with self assessment arson audit forms, disaster recovery plans and the offer of a joint arson audit with the police and fire service - those who have not responded are now being contacted by telephone. The recent arson attack at Newhaven's Tideway School shows only too well what severe damage is caused to schools through firesetting. ART are also working in partnership with the charity South East Region Crimestoppers, providing a confidential telephone number where members of the public can call to give information anonymously regarding crime.

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With Crimestoppers, the team are re-designing 'arson alert' posters and flyers, as well as planning a new arson video. The team are ensuring that the Crimestoppers telephone number is widely distributed on all related websites, leaflets and flyers as well as on Arson Alert boards placed at the scenes of deliberately set fires.

If you have any information about arson or any other crime please call Crimestoppers free and anonymously on 0800 555 111.

NOTE FOR EDITORS
The key aims of ART are Prevention, Education, Investigation and Detection. The aim of the joint East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service and Sussex Police Arson Reduction Team is to reduce by 20%, the number of deliberately started fires by March 2010, from the 2001/2002 baseline.

This will be achieved through partnership working in Prevention, Education, Investigation and Detection :-

• Engaging all partners responsible for crime and disorder reduction in East Sussex and Brighton & Hove.
• Identifying types of arson, their frequency and location, through research and improved data sharing protocols.
• Identifying and reporting the most effective way in which police and fire resources can be focused to reduce arson.
• Supporting police 'districts' in the prevention and investigation of arson.
• Attending 75% of all fatal and major financial loss fires where arson is the suspected cause.
• Promoting and maximising the use of the Fire Setter Advisor scheme.
• Improving the East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service's Fire Investigation capability through closer partnership working with Sussex Police Scenes of Crime department.
• Improving East Sussex and Brighton & Hove intervention schemes with 'at risk' youths through closer working with partners, to ensure they lead more positive lives.
• Promoting and enhancing recognised abandoned vehicle recovery schemes.
• Looking at and sharing 'best practice' with other Arson Reduction Teams.
• Identifying longer-term arson reduction strategies in partnership with all responsible agencies.
• Promoting the aim of the Arson Reduction Team and a greater awareness of arson, through high visibility activities and campaigns.
• Attending regional and national arson related seminars.

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Comprehensive Performance Assessment Result

East Sussex Fire Authority are delighted to announce the results of 3 independent inspections of East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service undertaken during the first 6 months of 2005.

These challenging and robust inspections have seen East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service re-awarded both the Charter Mark Standard for Service Excellence and the Investor in People Award. The Fire Authority have now been given a 'fair' rating under the Comprehensive Performance Assessment criteria on behalf of the Audit Commission. Alongside the CPA inspection, appointed financial auditors rated East Sussex at level 4, the highest grading, in all 5 audited categories.

Chairman of East Sussex Fire Authority Councillor Mike Murphy is delighted to announce the results of these independent inspections which provide clear reassurances to the public we serve and our staff, that East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is providing high standards of service delivery alongside giving excellent value for money.

Councillor Murphy said, "Whilst being extremely happy at the outcome of these inspections, we recognise there is more to do and we will continue to look at all areas to improve the service we deliver. We are determined to see our 'fair' rating under CPA rise; we were assessed as 'performing well' in 6 of the 9 categories and as 'performing adequately' in the other 3. Under any circumstances, this is a good result for East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service. The Fire Authority are proud of our achievements and will publish these reports on our website and also make them available through public libraries".

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999 operator saves victim of suspicious fire

At just before 04:00 on Wednesday 27th July 2005, the Mobilising & Communications Centre at East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service received an emergency call from a distressed woman at a property in Brighton Road, Newhaven, who advised that a substance had been poured through her door and set alight.

Two appliances were immediately mobilised from Newhaven Fire station; in the meantime Ian Smith, a control centre operator with over 19 years experience with East Sussex, stayed on the phone for over five minutes with the terrified occupant and talked her through the Fire & Rescue Service's 'Fire Survival Guide'.

Ian established that the lady had no means of escape as she was in the upper floor of her terraced property. He advised her to move to the furthest room away from the blaze, to place bedding round the bottom of door to halt the flow of smoke into the room and to slightly open the window.

When crews arrived they discovered a fire in the ground floor hallway, which was extinguished within minutes. The occupant was rescued from the first floor and taken to hospital via ambulance with suspected smoke inhalation.

All ESFRS control centre operators receive Fire Survival Guide training, which teaches them to provide advice to persons affected by or trapped by fire, and also how to stay calm under immense pressure. This information they provide ranges from simple advice such as 'get out, stay out', to more complicated guidance for persons unable to leave a building.

The Guide, developed by Divisional Officer Adrian Brown over a number of years, also teaches control staff how to remain composed and reassure persons whose lives are endangered by fire.

This is an incredibly stressful experience for control staff, whose immediate advice to frightened and panicking persons over a phone-line has the potential to save lives.

Sussex Police placed a guard at the property from 05:15 and Police and Fire investigation officers are now examining the scene.

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Arson at Cambridge Hotel, Eastbourne

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service has been called out to four fires at the Cambridge Hotel, Cambridge Road, Eastbourne, in the space of seven days between the 16th July and the 22nd July 2005.

Following joint investigation by officers from the Fire & Rescue Service and Sussex Police, the four fires are all being treated as deliberate arson attacks on the premises.

The former hotel is currently being used as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) providing hostel type accommodation for homeless persons. Fire Safety in this type of premises is enforced by the local authority, in this case Eastbourne Borough Council.

Inspections of the premises following the first two fires, by officers from Eastbourne Borough Council and the Fire & Rescue Service, found that fire safety measures in the building were not being maintained adequately and, following consultation with all interested parties, the decision was taken to limit the use of the building.

On 22nd July 2005 East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service served a Restriction Notice on the building under Section 10 of the Fire Precautions Act 1971, limiting the use of the building to the ground floor only, in the interests of the safety of the residents.

Whilst this notice was in force a further arson attack occurred on the first floor of the building on 22nd July, following unauthorised entry to that area.

Following this incident a further Notice under Section 10 of the Fire Precautions Act 1971 was issued later on 22nd July, prohibiting the use of the whole premises until satisfactory fire safety measures and management control are in place.

Senior Divisional Officer Gary Walsh, Director of Community Protection for East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service said "The Fire Service has worked closely with both the Police and the Local Authority to safeguard the lives of the residents in this premises. The Service has attempted to resolve the issues in the premises without resorting to the use of its emergency powers. However in this case it has been necessary to issue formal notices in order to protect the lives of the residents, many of whom are from vulnerable groups. East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service will not hesitate to use its emergency powers of restriction and closure, in premises where there is a serious and imminent threat to life from fire".

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Eastbourne Fire station to undertake Amosite (Brown) Asbestos removal work

From Monday July 11th 2005, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service will undertake a large operation to remove brown asbestos, used as fire protection to the beams in the ceiling void areas at Eastbourne Fire Station. The asbestos has been under close surveillance by the service for some time, but following a recent full and detailed Type 3 survey, the decision has been made to have it removed altogether.

This is a large project and is expected to take around six months to clear all traces of the asbestos. During this time the station will remain fully operational.

The removal process is fairly complex - it involves creating negative pressurised enclosures in segregated areas of the Fire Station, and removing the asbestos by encapsulating it in a gel under fully controlled conditions. It is then taken away to a specialist site for safe disposal.

Whilst the removal works are taking place the relevant areas will be completely sealed, with no danger of asbestos leaking out into the environment. All works will be carried out strictly in accordance with current legislation and relevant H.S.E guidance by licensed asbestos contractors.

We will be writing to staff and local residents seperately to advise of the situation; the works are not expected to cause a noise issue but may well involve working out of hours.

ESFRS are also taking this opportunity to also give Eastbourne Fire Station a major refurbishment, including internal redecoration, energy efficient lighting, new ceilings, WC and shower facilities and a new locker room.

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East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service and the Central London Explosions

East Sussex Fire & Rescue have NOT been asked to standby as a result of the incidents in London this morning. We are however fully prepared if needed, and all staff have been briefed on the current situation, should any action be required on our part.

We have also not been contacted by either London Fire Brigade or the National Control Centre, and have no further information at present.

Please DO NOT contact the Mobilising and Control Centre (M&CC) for any press queries of this nature, these should ALL be directed to the Media & Communications Officer, Billie-Jo Maynard on 01323 462388 / 07736 247586 or billie-jo.maynard@esfrs.org , until further notice.

Thank you for your assistance.

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Fire and Rescue Service inundated during Friday night storms

On Friday 24th June between the hours of 18:00 and 23.59 ESFRS received over 140 emergency calls and were called to 81 incidents around East Sussex, mostly as a result of the severe weather experienced across the county.

As a result of lightening strikes a large fire occured in Sheffield Park, the home of the Bluebell Railway and at its height the blaze, which engulfed building and cars, was being tackled by fire crews from across the county. It was eventually brought under control just after 21:00 with crews damping down and turning over until the early hours. Additionally homes and businesses in Lewes, Polegate, Eastbourne, Bexhill and Hailsham were affected by lightening strikes and sudden flooding, keeping crews busy until after midnight.

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Large Fire in St Leonards – Sunday

At 21:04 on Sunday 26th June 2005, crews from East Sussex Fire and Rescue were called to a large fire at The Railway Club, Saint John’s Road, St Leonards. There were 24 repeat calls made advising of the incident.

A total of six appliances from Hastings, Bexhill, Battle, Herstmonceux and Pevensey attended the blaze, and on arrival were confronted with a large fire in a building of approximately 20m x 50m, closely surrounded by a mixture of residential and commercial properties.

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The social club held cylinders containing LPG and CO2; the strength of the blaze caused one to explode which caused massive structural collapse to the gable end of the roof. The crews worked successfully to contain the fire to the Railway Club and by approximately 01:30 the crewing levels were reduced to two appliances. As a result of the incident crews were redeployed around the Hastings area with retained crews being called in to standby. The electricity supply was isolated and the nearby railway line was also closed temporarily. There were no injuries sustained and all persons were accounted for.

The local Council and Environment Agency were also in attendance, and are currently at the scene with fire investigation officers completing an investigation.

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East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service Achieves Charter Mark Success!

Congratulations to all staff at ESFRS on being re-awarded the prestigious Charter Mark for the third time! The Charter Mark Assessor visited various Fire & Rescue Service sites around East Sussex over three days in May and we have now received the good news that we have been successful in our assessment. The Charter Mark is awarded to public sector organisations that can demonstrate to an external assessor that they are committed to putting the customer first and providing excellent service. It is a registered certification mark, which is owned by the Cabinet Office.

Their report highlighted that :-

• We set our performance objectives based on national targets, but in many cases we have exceeded local targets stemming from local community needs.
• We have a range of community focused documents; these include our Service Charter, How to Complain and After a Fire and Flood, all of which provide the community with a description of our standards.
• We engage a wide range of communities with key performance developments, including the Integrated Risk Management Plan.
• We have positive working links with a range of public and voluntary agencies.
• We are good at publicising our services.
• We hold good information on our websites.
• Information is available to persons with special needs.
• We have demonstrated that we have improved our services and are dedicated to continual performance improvement.

Des Prichard, Chief Executive and Chief Fire Officer at ESFRS, said : "All the staff were very committed to achieving the Charter Mark and we are all delighted with this achievement. It is an indication of everyone’s continuous hard work and commitment to providing a first class service for residents and other stakeholders throughout East Sussex".

Steve Huggins, Brigade Secretary for East Sussex Fire Brigade Union commented "This award has been retained by the professionalism and dedication of Fire Brigades Union members and supporting staff, ensuring the safety of the communities they serve. The Charter Mark award for service is even more welcome as it has been achieved in the face of massive change and modernisation currently effecting the Fire Service".

Councillor Mike Murphy, Chairman of East Sussex Fire Authority commented "This is a tremendous achievement by all of the staff at ESFRS, both myself and all the members of the Fire Authority are really proud of them".

To achieve the Charter Mark, an organisation has to show that it :-

• Sets standards and performs well.
• Actively engages with its customers, partners and employees.
• Is fair and accessible to everyone and promotes choice.
• Continuously aims to develop and improve.
• Uses its resources effectively and imaginatively.
• Contributes to improving opportunities and quality of life in the communities it serves.

ESFRS will now be entitled to continue to display the Charter Mark for the next three years to show its commitment to achieving ongoing customer service excellence.

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Youths in East Sussex choose LIFE!

24 young people involved in, or at risk of becoming involved in anti social behaviour - whether it be in the form of fire setting or other acts in the community, alongside young victims of crime and teenagers with low self esteem within East Sussex are to take part in the acclaimed LIFE project, already proven to be hugely successful in several other Fire & Rescue Services in the UK.

Local Intervention Fire Education, or LIFE, is a Fire Service project devised by London Fire Brigade in 2002 that aims to boost confidence, improve community safety and reduce anti-social behaviour among young people, and to improve the life chances of every young person who takes part.

Funding for the project comes from Eastbourne CRP and Safer Rother Partnership; also supporting the events are ESFRS and Sussex Police Authority. Protective clothing for the youths is being supplied free of charge by ESFRS clothing contract managers Cosalt Ballyclare.

Referrals to the project are made by a range of agencies including the Youth Offending Team, Princes Trust, Anti-Social Behaviour Officers, Sussex Police, Link Team and YDS and Prevent & Deter Group. The course ends in a formal 'passing out parade', where the families and friends of those taking part, press and representatives from the Fire & Rescue Service and Sussex Police watch the young people demonstrate the practical skills they have learnt and receive a certificate of achievement.

A spokesperson from Eastbourne Crime Reduction Partnership commented "Targeting individuals in this way enables the partnership to deliver all of its crime reduction and anti-social behaviour targets. The system helps to identify those individuals who are the most prolific offenders, the most persistently anti-social in their behaviour and those who pose the greatest threat to the safety and confidence of their local communities. It also allows partnership agencies to work with these identified prolific offenders to stop their offending by offering a range of supportive interventions. Offenders are offered the opportunity for rehabilitation or face a very swift return to the courts".

East Sussex Fire & Rescue’s LIFE project is coordinated by Station Manager Mani Gilbert, and Watch Manager George Wippich, who said "LIFE aims to reduce fire service call-outs, cut fire deaths and injuries, improve the safety of fire crews and the communities they serve and lower the financial cost of fires by engaging young people to tackle fire safety and anti-social behaviour issues".

The LIFE project is an intensive, one-week course led by a disciplined team of uniformed fire service officers teaching participants fire safety and prevention, developing discipline, team spirit and valuable life skills. Young people aged 13-19 will be taught rescue techniques, including the use of breathing apparatus and how to evacuate a building in case of fire, during two five-day courses running from June 6-10th and June 13–17th in Bexhill. They will also get the chance to use firefighting equipment, run out hoses and learn how to maintain the fire engines and other equipment.

During the recent pilot scheme there was :-

• 96% attendance rate on the courses.
• 90% non offending rate among participants six months after attending the course.
• 46% reduction in non accidental fires across the borough.
• 76% reduction in attacks on firefighters.
• three young men helped into local community employment.
• six young people from ethnic minority backgrounds embarked on the fire service recruitment process.
• one young man working as a probationary firefighter, and another in training.
• five young people taking part in a mentoring scheme with firefighters.
• 30 young people continuing to work with the fire service one night per week as part of the Achieving Safer Communities scheme.

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Whitley Road Fire, 11 June 2005

A major fire is being treated as arson after youngsters were spotted running from the blaze in workshops behind Whitley Road and Seaside which took 35 firefighters two hours to contain. The two-storey building and its contents were destroyed. Residents reported seeing teenagers running from the scene before flames were spotted coming from the building. The Arson Reduction Team are investigating. Click here to view our photo gallery of the incident.

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Eastbourne 999 Weekend 23-24 July 2005

This year’s Eastbourne 999 weekend will be held on 23rd and 24th of July, on the Western Lawns in Eastbourne. The event, which has become a favourite in the local calendar, provides the opportunity for the public to watch displays by Sussex Ambulance Service, HM Coastguard, Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue and the RNLI.

The event is sponsored for the third year running by the Eastbourne Crime Reduction Partnership, which aims to reduce crime, disorder and the fear of crime in the town.

A full programme of demonstrations has been planned by the event committee, which this year has been hosted by Sussex Ambulance Service. Events in the arena will begin at 11:00 and end at 17:00. Attractions include an offshore rescue, police and fire dogs, ‘arson attack’, chip pan fire, resuscitation demonstration and RTC demonstration.

There will also be the opportunity for the public to meet members of the emergency services and get a closer look at today’s emergency vehicles and compare them with the many restored vintage ambulances, police vehicles and fire engines on show.

Arthur Dunmall of Sussex Ambulance Service and Chairman of this year’s organising committee said: "This is the 17th time the event has been held. It has grown over the years and now thousands of people come every year. The collaboration between the emergency services means that the 999 weekend is a great day out."

"Those people that have been to the event will tell you it is a excellent day for all the family and an ideal opportunity for members of the public to find out more about us and the work we do."

The event is free of charge, and organisers are hoping that attendance figures will be even greater than the record 30,000 people who attended last year. For more information please visit the website -

www.eastbourne999display.co.uk

Note:
This press release has been issued jointly by all members of the 999 Emergency Services Event – East Sussex Fire & Rescue, Sussex Police, Sussex Ambulance, RNLI and HM Coastguard.

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Free child car seat and home safety checks

East Sussex Trading Standards and Road Safety Teams will be offering free child car seat checks at various locations during June and July 2005, along with East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service who will be offering advice on home safety checks.

During 2003 18 babies and toddlers died in car accidents and another 173 were seriously injured. Most accidents happen on local journeys, at low speeds, often on the school run. A previous survey held during summer 2004 showed that just over half the seats failed due to either being poorly or incorrectly fitted, or that the seat was second hand and the owner did not know its history.

It will only take a few minutes of your time to get your car seat checked; a badly fitted car seat will offer little or no protection and could be the difference between life and death. If suitably restrained a child is 90% less likely to be killed in an accident.

The main points to remember when using child car seats are :-

• Never use a car seat which has been involved in a road crash.
• Never use a second hand seat if you do not know its history.
• Never use a rear-facing baby seat in the front of a car fitted with a front passenger air bag.
• Make sure that the seat is suitable for both the car and the child. Check the cars instruction manual and / or consult your dealer.
• Always read the instructions and make sure that the seat is fitted correctly.
• Try the seat before you buy.

A team of experts will be on hand at the following locations from 10.00am to 16.00pm to offer advice about child safety, and a free check to see if your car seat is fitted correctly.

For more information on these events please contact Debbie LeShirley on 01323 418200.

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Fire & Rescue Service personnel scoop top trophies at South-East Regional Triathlon!

On Sunday 8th May, seven members of East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service headed up to East Grinstead for the South Eastern Region Fire Services Triathlon Championships.

The race comprised a 500 metre swim, 28 kilometre bike ride and five kilometre run. After a great day’s racing ESFRS personnel walked away with five out of six trophies: Mark Archer taking 1st male, with Tom Glandfield 2nd male, Richard Chamberlin 1st Vet (over 40 yrs) and Anne Addrison 2nd female. The group also took home the team trophy for the second year running!

A big well done to Justine Blunden who has been training for several months towards this event, but things didn’t go quite to plan and unfortunately she had to pull out half way through. There's always plenty more Justine! It was also great to see Anne Addrison having a dabble with the short stuff as well.

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Lucky escape for dog at Beachy Head!

At 12.40 hours on Monday 16th May, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service received a call from anxious owners to advise that their pet Staffordshire Bull Terrier, "Ben", had fallen over the cliff between Birling Gap Road and Beachy Head Road, Beachy Head, East Sussex.

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A crew was mobilised from Eastbourne Fire Station in addition to specialist Rope Rescue Teams from Bexhill and Battle Stations, and the East Sussex Coastguard. On arrival firefighters found Ben had fallen approximately 50 feet down a steep, sloping, shingle cliff, and was falling further with every movement while struggling to climb back to the top. In order to retrieve the animal, one firefighter was lowered down on a line; upon reaching Ben he placed the dog in a sling, attached the sling to himself and was hauled back up on a portable capstan winch. Ben was then reunited with his relieved owners. The whole rescue process took approximately 20 minutes, and firefighters remarked how calm Ben remained throughout his ordeal!

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Fire at Brighton Marina

At 13:46 today East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service received a call alerting them to smoke issuing from a residential fire at Starboard Court, Brighton Marina, with persons reported missing in the building.

A turntable ladder from Preston Circus and an appliance from Hove were deployed to the incident; 4 Breathing Aparatus, a jet and specialist foam unit were used.

All persons have now been accounted for but unfortunately two cats are reported to have died at the property. The fire is thought to have started in the kitchen.

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Retained Firefighter Crisis in East Sussex

Men and women living or working in Battle, Broad Oak, Burwash, Crowborough, Forest Row, Herstmonceux, Mayfield, Newhaven, Rye, Seaford and Wadhurst are being asked to consider becoming part-time firefighters due to severe shortages facing East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service.

All of the above stations rely on retained firefighters, who either live or work near the fire station and can be on-call for periods through a pager. Each firefighter receives an annual retaining fee of up to £2500 for being available, and then gets paid on an hourly basis for training and attending incidents.

A retained firefighter can expect to be trained to attend the same incidents as their full-time colleagues, including fires, rescues, Road Traffic Accidents and animal rescues. Retained firefighters also now make Home Safety Visits to local residents, carrying out detailed risk assessments, providing fire safety advice and installing smoke alarms as part of East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service´s "Prevention rather than Intervention" initiative.

Changes in lifestyle over the years have made it much more difficult to recruit retained staff as very few people are now available to be on call in rural communities. Whereas previously retained firefighters were usually tradesmen based in the town, today they could just as likely be mothers whose children are now at school.

The shortage of retained firefighters has meant that fire engines are being taken out of service at various times during the week as there is no-one to crew them. This means that when an incident happens, an appliance will have to travel from a neighbouring town or village, and this delay in attending could be critical. The shortage of firefighters also means a greater workload and pressure on existing staff.

Assistant Divisional Officer Andrew Porter said "The shortage of retained firefighters is becoming a serious problem, especially because fire engines are being taken off the run. The extra time it takes for a fire engine to come from another town or village may only be a couple of minutes, but in a life-or-death situation, that delay could be critical."

"We would like to hear from anyone who is between 18 and 55 (55 is the retirement age) and who spends a fair amount of time within 5 minutes of their local fire station."

Anyone who is interested should telephone our recruitment hotline on 01323 462349.

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Serious Fire at Tideway School, Newhaven

At 00:43 hours on Tuesday 5 April, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service received a telephone call to report a fire in the open at the back of Court Farm Road. Repeat calls stated the fire was in fact at Tideway Secondary School, Newhaven and appliances enroute were redirected to this site.

Crews were mobilised initially from Newhaven, and then from Seaford, Lewes, Hove, Uckfield, Preston Circus, Roedean, Eastbourne, Hailsham, Barcombe, Wadhurst, Broadoak, Bexhill, in addition to appliances from outside the county.

Assistant Divisional Officer Mike Rogers who attended the incident said
"On arrival firefighters were confronted with a range of school buildings between 1 and 4 storeys in height, and a severe fire in the centre of the two story section of the school buildings of about 80m x 30m which was spreading rapidly. Breathing apparatus were committed as there was a serious risk of the fire spreading laterally into the adjoining 4-storey building. However with the arrival of reinforcing appliances, including one of the service’s specialist foam appliances they were able to contain the fire, and with determined efforts in difficult conditions the fire has been brought under control."

In total 80 firefighters, 1 aerial appliance, 12 pumping appliances, 12 sets of breathing apparatus and various other firefighting apparatus were used at the incident, which caused significant damage to the school hall, reception and classrooms.

The fire is being treated as suspicious, Sussex Police and fire investigation teams are in attendance but due to the severity of the fire a full investigation cannot commence until tomorrow.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Len Richards commented "East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service are strongly urging for sprinklers to be installed in all schools and public buildings, and in certain domestic premises where the more vulnerable members of society reside. Fire sprinklers can give an early warning and control the fire and its development, restricting its spread and thereby saving considerable fire damage and loss and the resultant impact on the local community. We also strongly urge that in any rebuilding of the school premises, the installation of sprinklers are considered a priority as a life and property saving measure."

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Large Fire at Recycling Centre in Lewes, Sunday 3rd April

At 05:43 hours on Sunday 3 April, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service received a telephone call from an employee at MJD Light Bros, Graystone Quarry, Southerham to report a fire on site. This was followed by 8 duplicate calls from worried locals who had spotted the smoke rising from the area.

Crews were mobilised from Lewes, Brighton, Hove, Barcombe, Uckfield, Newhaven and Seaford, and appliances in attendance included a Water Bowser, two 1-in-7 foam units and a foam tender.

On arrival firefighters were confronted with a fire consisting of approximately 200 square metres of dust material which was well alight. Firefighter Andy Gausden from Lewes Fire Station said "This was a large blaze with a real danger of the fire spreading to other areas of the site including containers holding scrap aluminium and a fuel storage area".

The environment agency also attended the incident to assess the possible environmental consequences of a large plume of smoke emitted by the fire and hovering over Lewes. However following their investigation the agencies concerned were satified there would be no long term impact on the environment, and the smoke would be safely dispersed into the atmosphere.

Firefighter Gausden went on to say "Thanks to the combined efforts of the crews involved the flames were extinguished by 07:45, however the fire re-ignited and crews were again mobilised. The blaze was finally brought under control by 10:30 and firefighters spent until 16:00 damping down and making safe".

Amongst the items that the centre recycles is foam from old fridges, which is converted to a powder and then made into absorbent granules. It is this powder that is believed to have ignited, and the fire is not being treated as suspicious.

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Firefighters from Hastings The Ridge Fire Station contribute to Comic Relief effort on Saturday 12th March

Firecrew from The Ridge Fire Station's Red Watch will be in Hastings town centre this Saturday from 11.00 - 15:00, bringing various firefighting appliances into the town to show shoppers.

This is a great opportunity for members of the public to see the equipment East Sussex Fire and Rescue use close-up, and of course the opportunity for kids (and adults!) to sit in the fire engines, ask questions or or chat to the crew.

This will be in return for voluntary contributions going to Comic Relief.

Fire safety advice, free leaflets and the opportunity to book a free Home Safety Visit will also be on offer.

Saturday 12th March, Hastings Town Centre, 11:00 - 15:00, near Wellington Place (Near Clarks/Natwest - toilets nearby!).

Anyone in East Sussex wishing to have a free home fire safety check can call the dedicated Home Safety Visit line at any time on 0845 230 0252 to book a visit, or contact their nearest station.

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Serious Plumpton house fire averted thanks to recent home safety visit

Two adults escaped unhurt from a house fire in Plumpton recently thanks to life-saving home safety advice by firefighters from East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service.

Firefighters Peter Lilley and Will Marler, from Barcombe station, visited the home of Mr & Mrs Mitchell in Eastview Field, Plumpton Green on 22 February 2005 and provided a free risk assessment at the couple’s request.

Whilst at the dwelling, firefighters Lilley and Marler were informed by the householders that they would normally use their washing machine at night or while out of the property.

Peter Lilley said "During the home safety visit we fitted two smoke alarms in the property. We also explained the possible risk of fire by leaving the washing machine running unattended, recommending only using the appliance under supervision during the day and while someone was home."

"Subsequently, whilst on another home safety visit in the area on 26 February, we were mobilised to an incident at Mr & Mrs Mitchell’s home. On arrival at 12pm we discovered a blaze which was caused by the very washing machine in question".

Firefighter Lilley went on "As the fire was detected quickly there were fortunately no injuries, and the damage was contained to the area surrounding the washing machine. This shows just how important fire safety awareness around the home can be - in this case it has averted a potentially deadly fire".

Anyone in East Sussex wishing to have a free home fire safety check can call the dedicated Home Safety Visit line on 0845 230 0252 to book a visit, or contact their nearest station.

NOTE TO EDITORS:
Mr & Mrs Mitchell are happy to comment/be interviewed by the press, in the first instance please contact Media Officer Billie-Jo Maynard [Billie-Jo.Maynard@esfrs.org], Tel 01323 462388.

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National Chip Week 14th - 20th February 2005

Do you love chips?

It’s National Chip Week from 14th – 20th February. In its 14th year, this year’s event encourages people to enjoy chips in all shapes and sizes – from homemade to takeaway, oven chips from the freezer to wedges.

Chip pan fires cause one fifth of all accidental dwelling fires attended by the Fire and Rescue Service in the UK each year. Nearly 20 people are killed or injured every day in accidental fires that start in their kitchen, the most common of these caused by deep fat frying.

If you do choose to deep fat fry your chips, make sure you do it safely. Better still, choose oven chips or use a thermostatic fryer.

• Never fill a chip pan more than a third full of oil.
• Consider using a thermostatically controlled deep fat fryer.
• Never leave your cooking unattended. Even if the phone or doorbell rings.
  Remember – fires start when your attention stops.
• If you’ve consumed alcohol, don’t be tempted to cook with a chip pan.

If you do have a chip pan fire:

• Call the Fire and Rescue Service on 999 immediately.
• Don’t take risks.
• Only tackle the fire if it is in its early stages and you feel it is safe to do so.
• Have a clear escape route.
• Never move the pan.
• Turn off the heat (if it’s safe to do so).
• Cover the pan with a lid or dampened tea towel.
• Never use water on chip pan fires, as this will cause a fireball.

For more information about National Chip Week, visit www.lovechips.co.uk.

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Fire Authority set Budget

Today saw the first meeting of East Sussex Fire Authority since last month’s decision to rationalise aerial ladder provision in the Brighton & Hove area (see press release of 13th January 2005). The movement of the vehicle from Hove to Brighton and resulting 12 posts saved left scope for the Authority to consider further investment in, amongst other things, community safety initiatives.

Councillor Murphy stated :-
"The Fire Authority is committed to delivering quality services to the public at a price they are prepared to pay. This requires the Fire Authority to make some very difficult decisions, but no-one will lose their jobs as a result of the savings required, and investment is still being achieved in key areas including :-

• The redeployment of four operational staff from firefighting duties to assist with measures to improve safety in people’s homes, following the previous decision by the Fire Authority at it’s last meeting to reduce 12 posts.
• An enhanced Community Fire Safety Programme.
• Funding to progress partnership working with nine other Fire Authorities in the South East to achieve benefits not otherwise available.
• Investment in technology, improved personal protective clothing for staff, and investment in performance management capacity.

NOTE TO EDITORS

East Sussex Fire Authority has agreed its Revenue Budget for 2005/06. The Authority approved a Revenue Budget of £34.715m which is a 6% increase on the 2004/05 base budget of £32.752m. After Government Grant, this means that the basic amount of its council tax (i.e. for a Band D property) for the year 2005/06 is £66.95, a 4.9% increase on the 2004/05 figure of £63.80.

This figure equates to an increase of only 5p per week per household.

In reaching its conclusions, the Fire Authority had to balance Government statements that capping will apply to any Council Tax increases of more than 5%, alongside the need to meet the (over 16%) additional costs of the Firefighters’ Pay Award, service investments and its new Statutory responsibilities under both the Fire & Rescue Services Act and the Civil Contingencies Act, both of which Fire Authorities to provide additional services yet without additional Government funding.

In reaching its conclusions, whilst the Fire Authority had agreed service reductions totalling £794,000, in terms of the impact upon the operational budget and the services delivered to our community, these had been protected as far as possible with a reduction of only 2% on the total operational budget, compared with efficiency savings on the support services budget totalling £337,000, which was a 4% reduction.

Chairman of the Fire Authority, Councillor Michael Murphy indicated that the Fire Authority was reassured by the results of recent Revenue Budget survey to members of the public which supported the decisions taken. Councillor Murphy indicated that this was the first occasion for many years that the Authority had been faced with making financial savings to meet future budget demands, but that this was unavoidable against the backcloth of clear Government guidance not to increase the Council Tax burdens upon local taxpayers, respond to the national modernisation agenda and meet other commitments.

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Incident at Blackman, Pavie and Ladden, Battle on 04 February 2005

At 17:43 on Friday 4th February 2005, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service received a call from an alarm company indicating that a fire alarm was sounding at Blackman, Pavie and Ladden in Marley Lane, Battle. This was shortly backed up by a call from the premises indicating a fire situation existed.

Appliances from Battle and Hastings fire stations were mobilised immediately, and on arrival discovered a large fire in a single story building of approximately 100 metres x 40 metres, used as part of a factory making charcoal briquettes.

Using jets and hose reels alongside aerial and ground monitors, the blaze, which involved hazardous chemicals, was quickly brought under control. The Fire Service remained in attendance throughout the evening and night, damping down and monitoring the 40 tonnes of briquettes that were well alight.

At the height of the incident a total of six pumping appliances, two aerial platforms, a water carrier, a 1 in 7 foam unit and our incident command unit were in attendance, alongside officers from the Environmental Health Department.

The blaze was swiftly brought under control and within four hours only two frontline pumping appliances remained at the scene, damping down and monitoring.

Seeboard were requested to attend to deal with overhead cables and Police closed Morley Lane to all traffic.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Billie-Jo Maynard commented:

‘The blaze was quickly brought under control and no injuries occurred. Thankfully incidents of this type are rare. This is testament to East Sussex Fire and Rescue’s effective ‘Prevention rather than Intervention’ initiative and Community Safety Service, driving down risk in local businesses and communities across the County’.

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Fatal incident in Brighton

Following last nights fatal incident in Brighton, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service have confirmed that no smoke detectors were fitted in the flat involved.

Neighbours worried about the occupier of the flat called the Police who attended and forced an entry into the flat. They discovered that a fire had occurred and found the body of a deceased male. Firefighters from Preston Circus Fire Station attended to assist Police Officers and confirmed that the fire was out.

A Fire Investigation team attended and found that the fire appeared to have been confined to a bedroom.

The Fire Investigation team are still at the scene assisting Scenes of Crime and Forensic Officers to establish the cause of the incident.

A spokesperson for East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service said
'Had smoke alarms been fitted they may have given earlier warning to neighbours'.

Local firefighters will be visiting the area to offer fire safety advice and to fit smoke alarms.

If members of the public would like advice or a home safety visit please telephone East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service on 0845 230 0252.

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Decorated Senior Officer completes 40 years employment with the Fire Service

Assistant Chief Fire Officer George Hammond today completes an unprecedented forty years uniformed service with East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.

A teenage George Hammond joined the Fire Brigade at Hove Fire Station on January 25th 1965 as a fire fighter through the junior firefighters scheme. He then went on to become station commander at both Roedean and then Preston Circus in 1974, and has since moved through the ranks, most recently to the post of Assistant Chief Fire Officer based at the Service’s headquarters in Eastbourne.

Mr Hammond has commanded or been involved with the majority of large-scale local incidents in recent memory, notably the fire which destroyed the original Hove Town hall (1966) - the current building being it’s replacement, the Brighton Sweet Hill train crash (1979), the Grand Hotel bombing (1984), the arson attack at Palmeira Avenue (1992) and fires at the Kings and Royal Albion Hotels, Brighton.

In 2001 Mr Hammond was presented with the Queens Fire Service Medal (QFSM) by Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace.

Mr Hammond, who was appointed to his current post in July 2003, commented:

Mr Hammond is due to retire in June 2005.

QFSM: The Queen's Fire Service Medal was introduced on 19 May 1954, and can be issued for either acts of gallantry or distinguished service.

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