News and Views
27/02/2009
London Fire Brigade Inspecting Officer Retires after 44 Years of Service
The Fire Service Safety Partnership would like to offer our congratulations to Mick Stonham of London Fire Brigade who is retiring after an 44 years of service. Mr Stonham has had a long and varied career in the London Fire & Rescue Service since joining as a recruit in 1965. He attended major fires and many dangerous and demanding situations such as the Tate & Lyle sugar factory fire, a ship fire at the King George V Dock and the 1967 Shell Refinery fire at Tilbury. More recently he has worked as an instructor, station officer and inspecting officer at Westminster Borough.
News Articles
FULL CONSULTATION SERVICES AVAILABLE NOW!!!
This means that we will visit your premises to inspect your fire safety precautions and procedures and provide verbal and written advice on these. We will conduct fire safety audits or notify you of when you should replace your extinguishers and any other fire safety equipment. We will advice you on your evacuation procedures and exit routes, your fire safety doors and emergency signage requirements. We can deal with almost any fire safety enquiry on your behalf, providing paperwork and reports to guide you on the proper response to every fire safety issue.03/07/2009
Topless Waitressing Leads to Arson Attack in U.S.
An American coffee shop that features topless waitresses has attracted the ire of local residents and been torched to the ground by an outraged arsonist. The shop opened in just outside Augusta in Maine four months ago and had attracted national controversy when the owner, Donald Crabtree, announced plans to have topless waitresses serve coffee and doughnuts between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.08/06/2009
Mob Sets Fire to Indian Train Station
Train passengers in India have signalled their displeasure at changes to the rail schedule by setting fire to a train and a station in the notoriously lawless northern state of Bihar.08/06/2009
Bradford City Fire Image Controversy
Two companies involved in the sale of photographs and their conversion into image-related products such as jigsaw puzzles have been strongly criticised for supplying images of the Bradford City fire.08/06/2009
Fourth Pony Rescue for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
Last month saw some unusual rescue experience for Hampshire firefighters who have been called out four times by concerned members of the public to rescue the same Shetland pony. The pony, nicknamed ‘Shorty’ because it’s unusually stumpy legs are out of proportion with the rest of it’s body, is only 2ft 4 inches tall. Passers-by continually assume that the pony has become stuck in the salty marshland where she grazes.29/05/2009
Computer retailer HP recalls 70,000 notebooks due to fire hazard concerns
Faulty lithium-ion batteries in 70,000 notebook PC products manufactured between August 2007 and January 2008 have resulted in a massive product recall from computer retailer HP.29/05/2009
How many fire marshals do I need?
“How many fire marshals do I need?” is a question which almost always arises when lecturing on the subject of building evacuations. I am sure many other fire safety instructors would agree this is perhaps the single most frequently asked question they have to deal with.29/05/2009
Practical Extinguisher Demonstrations at No Extra Cost!!!
The Fire Service Safety Partnership are pleased to announce that we are now offering practical fire extinguisher demonstrations. These demonstrations are an excellent way of getting your staff familiar with the use of extinguishers and allowing them real hands-on experience of using extinguishers to tackle contained fires.29/05/2009
European Commission Headquarters Fire
A major fire at the Brussels headquarters of the European Commission has resulted in the closure of the distinctive four-winged 1960s building and the relocation of up to 3000 members of staff to other buildings.29/05/2009
A Crushed Leg Could Lead to Better Risk Assessments?
An employee working for an agricultural contractor in Burton on Trent has suffered an injury which could have an effect on future risk assessments.29/05/2009
Major Review of Furniture Fire Safety Law
The legislative drive to increase fire safety awareness and reduce fire related deaths continues apace with the announcement that there will be a review of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.29/05/2009
Embarrassing Fire Incident at Fire Service Training College
Officials at Britain’s National Fire Service Training College at Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire were left counting the cost of an embarrassing blaze at their own workshop. Current estimates suggest that up to 1.3 million pounds worth of damage occurred when a blaze broke out at the warehouse last Saturday.29/05/2009
Yes You Can….Unless You Want to Play in the Cleveland Firefighter’s Memorial Pipe Band
It seems that the wave of goodwill towards President Obama extends to the firefighters of Ohio, one of whom has been suspended for 6 months from his role in a pipe and drum band for waving and nodding at the new American President.06/04/2009
Spiderman Makes Unexpected Appearance as Thai Firefighter
A quick thinking Thai firefighter rescued an 11-year old autistic boy by dressing up as Spiderman.06/04/2009
Fire Safety Order Government Report is Published
Initial findings published by the Government review into the workings and impact of the Fire Safety Order have suggested that up to 40% of businesses remain unaware of the new fire safety legislation and consequently lack any awareness of how they should put it into practice in their workplace.01/04/2009
Survey Shows that the Fire Safety Message Isn’t Reaching Homeowners
A recent survey conducted by Moveme.com has indicated a worrying lack of concern for fire safety amongst homeowners, with just 4% of respondents indicating that testing or installing a smoke alarm was a priority when making a move.01/04/2009
Humberside FBU to Ballot Members on Strike Action
Changes proposed by Humberside Fire Authority have met with resistance from the Humberside Fire Brigade’s Union who have given notice that they intend to hold a ballot on strike action.31/03/2009
Fire Kills Campaign and Website
Many readers will already be familiar with the Fire Kills campaign from television advertising and billboard advertisements.30/03/2009
Sausage pony costs Fire Service £8,000
This month has seen some unusual rescue experience for Hampshire firefighters who have been called out four times by concerned members of the public to rescue the same Shetland pony.25/03/2009
Hospital Plan for Fire Service College
The Fire Service Training College, based at Moreton-in Marsh, Gloucestershire, could soon have it’s own 50-bed hospital and health campus including an ambulance station, residential care village and 80-bed care home.24/03/2009
Most clicked pages on this website
Do you want to know what the most clicked pages on this website are? Take a quick look at the most popular videos, downloads, courses, products and news stories for February.23/03/2009
Fire Deaths in UK Increase for First Time in 29 Years
The importance of receiving adequate fire safety training has been emphasized by the release of a major new report into fire-related deaths and other key fire safety statistics.17/03/2009
‘How to Survive a Disaster’
The issue of how to survive a disaster or emergency was broached recently by the BBC in an excellent episode of the Horizon documentary series (BBC 2, ‘How to Survive a Disaster’ broadcast 10th March 2009).17/03/2009
EU Law Threatens Thousands of Retained Firefighter Posts
Fire Service Unions reacted angrily this week to the news that the European Working Time Directive may threaten the jobs of thousands of retained firefighters, most of whom working longer hours than the Directive allows.27/02/2009
London Fire Brigade Inspecting Officer Retires after 44 Years of Service
The Fire Service Safety Partnership would like to offer our congratulations to Mick Stonham of London Fire Brigade who is retiring after an 44 years of service.27/02/2009
Policeman and Fireman!
Dedicated good citizen Jon Arey of West Yorkshire has achieved the remarkable feat of becoming a retained firefighter despite already working full-time as a police community support officer.27/02/2009
Darkness Falls on Corsham Town!
An explosion and fire caused by a faulty fuse box left companies in Corsham town centre without power after water leaked into the fuse box. Power did not return to the centre of the Wiltshire town until 8pm that night.26/02/2009
Fire Marshals – Legal requirement update
We posted an article on 19th January 2009 called Fire Marshals – Legal requirement? Thank you for your comments on this article.26/02/2009
Fire Safety Legislation Applies to Landlords
Landlords throughout the UK have been reminded of their health and safety duties with particular reference to fire safety legislation.26/02/2009
School Fails Safety Examination
Governors at a medium-sized school for boys in Gloucestershire have sent an open letter to parents explaining the schools health and safety failings, which include a lack of fire drills and a faulty fire alarm system.25/02/2009
Radford Landlord Fined for Fire Safety Infringements
A Radford landlord pleaded guilty to four fire safety charges at Nottingham Crown Court and has been fined a total of £6,000 (including costs).25/02/2009
Aberdeen Fireman Sets Own Station Alight
Regular readers will be aware that we have recently posted two stories about firemen burning down or damaging their own stations, one from Germany and another from Japan.25/02/2009
London’s Famous Monument Re-opens
This week has seen an interesting story for all you history enthusiasts out there with the re-opening of the memorial to the victims of the Great Fire of London after an 18-month restoration project which has cost an estimated £4.5 million to complete.23/02/2009
Enforcement appeal dismissed
Chelmsford Magistrates’ yesterday dismissed an appeal brought in respect of an Enforcement Notice issued the Essex County Fire & Rescue Service (ECFRS).23/02/2009
Rescue Study Shows 190000 UK Rescues since 1990
New evidence has emerged illustrating the scale of firefighting and rescue activities undertaken by Brigades throughout the United Kingdom.19/02/2009
Free Road Safety Seminar!
Essex County Council and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents have joined forces to create a one-day seminar designed to address road safety issues and familiarise delegates with road safety legislation. Attendance is FREE and includes lunch and refreshments.19/02/2009
Playing games with fire can be a good thing?
Remember the old instruction to ‘never play games with fire’? It seems that researchers at Durham University were determined to prove this old adage wrong when they set out to show that the operating systems behind popular computer games such as Halo and Doom can also be turned into effective tools for fire safety training.16/02/2009
Greater Manchester cuts opposed by Fire Brigades Union
Plans for more cuts in the staffing of fire service personnel for Greater Manchester have met with strong protests from Union officials.16/02/2009
Managing Contractors
What does the law regard as a contractor? A contractor is anyone who is called into work for your company but is not an employee of your company.13/02/2009
Major review of furniture fire safety law
The legislative drive to increase fire safety awareness and reduce fire related deaths continues apace with the announcement that there will be a review of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.12/02/2009
Manchester city centre blaze looks like arson
Preliminary investigations following a major fire at the Sarah Village development complex in Manchester city centre suggest that the blaze was started deliberately.10/02/2009
Japanese firefighters burn down their own station
Remember the recent story about a fire station in Germany which has twice been burned down by it’s own fire crew? It seems that Japanese firefighters are also prone to setting their own fire stations ablaze, at least they are if this example from Nagoya City is anything to go by.10/02/2009
Teenager accidentally burns down house while parents are on holiday
How many times have teenagers been jokingly told not to burn down the house when they are left in sole charge of a property? For one 19 year old in Nottinghamshire the matter became very serious indeed when a tumble-dryer caught fire causing a severe blaze which destroyed the kitchen and smoke-damaged the rest of her parent’s house.09/02/2009
What have Sir Elton John, Rudy Giuliani, Timmy Mallet and Heston Blumenthal got in common?
It is hard to think what a former New York mayor and Presidential candidate has in common with a Pop icon, a purveyor of snail porridge or children’s entertainment legend Timmy Mallet.09/02/2009
More from Service Master – Tips for the home!
Thanks for your comments on our article about flood, fire and smoke damage limitation. Alan Lewin of Service Master has a few more tips for the home! This is not about Fire Marshal training or fire risk assessments, I hear you saying…….but a clean home is a safe home!!! Ha ha!05/02/2009
Father & Son Face £50,000 Fire Safety Fine
Brian Murdoch and his son David Murdoch, both of Kidderminster, face a bill of over £50,000 after failing to have a fire risk assessment conducted for properties they owned in the town.05/02/2009
Greater Manchester Chief Fire Officer to retire
After 42 years in Greater Manchester’s Fire and Rescue service, including 7 years as Chief, County Fire Officer Barry Dixon CBE has announced his retirement in June 2009.04/02/2009
Most clicked pages on this website
Do you want to know what the most clicked pages on this website are? Take a quick look at the most popular videos, downloads, courses, products and news stories for January.03/02/2009
Learn what to do and what not to do on water, fire and smoke damage
Many thanks to Alan Lewin of Service Master for permission to use the following flood, fire and smoke damage limitation tips:03/02/2009
Thanks for the feedback!
We would just like to thank everyone who has responded to the articles and news items we have been running on the Fire Service Safety Partnership website.02/02/2009
360 Redundancies in wake of major fire
A major fire has forced a food retail company to go into administration making 360 workers redundant.29/01/2009
Book your free Fire Risk Assessment – last places going fast!!!
We have had a great deal of response to our free offer of Fire Risk Assessments up to the value of five hundred pounds but there is still time to take advantage of this offer.29/01/2009
Poor storage costs Surrey company £100,000
A company which owns more than 720 care homes throughout the UK has been fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £20,000 for breaching the terms of the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005.29/01/2009
Hotels still flouting fire safety legislation
January 2009 has already seen a spate of fire safety prosecutions within the accommodation and hospitality industries in relation to breaches of the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005. Recently the requirements were extended to cover bed and breakfast accommodation, but even established hotels have been found guilty of serious breaches.28/01/2009
London Fire Brigade Deputy Commissioner receives long service award
Congratulations go out to Deputy Commissioner Roy Bishop OBE of the London Fire Brigade who was recently presented with an award for 30 years of dedicated service.28/01/2009
Legal precedent established by prosecution of Colchester restaurateur
A recent legal case has highlighted the need to abide by any Enforcement Notice issued by a Fire Authority. In a case which has established a legal precedent Essex County Fire & Rescue Service fire safety officers issued a prohibition notice to Feyzullah Ozgurcu, a partner of Crystal Restaurant Ltd of St Botolph Street Colchester. Several subsequent inspections found that the terms of the Prohibition Notice had not been complied with which led to a prosecution by Essex Fire Authority.27/01/2009
New Report Confirms Arson Threat to Schools
A report commissioned by the Teaching Expertise website has confirmed that arson remains the most likely cause of fire in British schools. Fire Brigades throughout the country have long been aware that arson is the single most significant risk to fire safety in schools but the report has added to this awareness by giving independent backing of statistics compiled from fire investigation reports.27/01/2009
Maximum Penalties for Health & Safety Offences Increased
The Health and Safety (Offences) Act has come into force and legislates for significant increases in the penalties available for offences relating to health and safety breaches. Fines issued by the lower courts have for example been increased from a maximum of £5,000 to £20,000, whilst magistrates are now also entitled to imprison offenders convicted under sections 7,8 and 37 of the Health & Safety At Work Act (these cover breaches by individual employees and directors).26/01/2009
Third of firms ‘have no fire safety risk assessment’
The worrying results of a survey conducted by the insurance firm Norwich Union indicate that one in three UK firms are in breach of their legal obligations under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order.26/01/2009
Fire Brigade Legal Seminar Hailed as a Great Success
Since the introduction of the new Fire Safety Order a number of high-profile cases have illustrated the determination of Brigades throughout the country to prosecute companies and individuals responsible for any breaches of fire safety law.26/01/2009
Fire station burns down for second time
Firemen in Syke, Germany have been branded the worst in the world after their own fire station burned down for the second time. Three millions pounds worth of damage included the complete destruction of all six fire engines based at the station.22/01/2009
Essex Fire Marshal training courses move home
After 18 years based at Braintree fire station, the Fire Service Safety Partnership (formerly the Industrial and Commercial Training Unit) have moved all of its Essex fire training courses to the Business Centre in Main Road, Boreham, Essex. This does not affect on-site course bookings which are still available throughout the United Kingdom.22/01/2009
Fire safety for young children
We have had an enquiry about teaching young children about the dangers of fire. Many Fire and Rescue Services websites have pages that are suitable for young children and here are some links to some that I am sure they will enjoy!21/01/2009
Fire Marshals – Legal requirement?
There is no doubt that the key to securing a successful fire safety procedure is to have the right people doing the right things at the right time. All persons within a workplace or persons with some control over the workplace will to a greater or lesser extent have responsibilities connected to the fire procedure and can directly influence the effectiveness of those fire safety arrangements. This applies not only to the general workforce but also to middle management, responsible persons, key personnel, right through to senior managers, officers and board members.19/01/2009
Free Fire Risk Assessment
Book a bespoke Fire Marshal course at your premises for £1495+ vat and get a free Fire Risk Assessment worth up to £500 completely free.19/01/2009
FSSP videos
Got Mine Got Yours video courtesy of London Fire Brigade and Tent fire courtesy of Gregory Pye.16/01/2009
New web format
Those of you who have previously booked courses with us or looked at our website before might have noticed that it has a new layout. We are constantly updating both the presentation and the content of the website in order to make it as attractive, interesting and informative as possible.15/01/2009
Property manager fined for seven fire safety breaches
In another example of the fact that Brigades throughout the country are now vigorously pursuing prosecution cases against those who contravene the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, a Hillingdon based property manager has been found guilty of seven breaches of fire safety legislation.15/01/2009
Examining the need for a regular improvement of Fire Procedures
The Fire Service Safety Partnership was recently asked to carry out fire marshal training for a trading organisation based in the City. When my colleague and I arrived at the venue we were intrigued to see a London fire appliance in use next to the premises, but also quite gratified that our clients staff had evacuated their building.13/01/2009
Fire drills. Should we tell our staff?
Should you inform your staff when a fire drill is going to occur? This question came to the fore in response to a recent Fire Marshal Seminar we conducted in Manchester.13/01/2009
Do we need Evacuation chairs?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) came into force in October 2006 and included a requirement to take special note of fire safety relating to vulnerable groups such as the disabled.04/12/2008
Landlord jailed for four months for fatal fire
A London landlord has been sentenced to four months imprisonment, and his company Watchacre Properties Limited fined £21,000, after pleading guilty to a catalogue of breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order.01/12/2008
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