6 | ESTNEWS London Fire Brigade (LFB) has unveiled its new £7m training centre in Park Royal. The purpose built complex, provided by the brigade’s training partner Babcock, will complement the brigade’s other dedicated training facility, which opened in Beckton last year. The centre, which covers 4000sqm and will run around 500 training courses a year, features a four storey zero-emission fire house, provides a tower for ladder and line rescue training as well as classroom facilities.
Energy management solution reduces costs for GMP
www.london-fire.gov.uk
Some 500 frontline police officers in Dyfed Powys Police have been issued with smartphones, which allow them to carry out the majority of their everyday policing duties while out on patrol. This number will rise to 650 by April. The Samsung Galaxy Notebook 3 handheld devices have replaced the traditional pocket notebook and can be used for a range of duties including crime recording, police checks, road traffic collision recording, monitoring and on-street cannabis warnings. The introduction of handheld devices to the force is part of the strategy to be completely digital by 2016. www.dyfed-powys.police.uk
HRH The Princess Royal officially opened a cutting-edge Ambulance Special Operations Centre in Exeter (ASOC West) on 16 February. The new ASOC is part of the impressive £210m SkyPark scheme, and is the base for the South West Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust’s Exeter Hazardous Area Response Team (HART). www.swast.nhs.uk
FLIR has developed an easy-to-read informative booklet ‘Thermal Imaging for Firefighters: The Ultimate Guide’, which covers everything that firefighters need to know about thermal imaging cameras (TICs) for fire fighting applications. This free guidebook can be downloaded from the FLIR Systems website. www.flir.com/fire
Landlords will be required by law to install working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in their properties, under measures announced by Housing Minister Brandon Lewis on 11 March 2015. The measure is expected to take effect from October 2015. \This is part of wider government moves to ensure there are sufficient measures in place to protect public safety, while at the same time avoiding regulation which would push up rents and restrict the supply of homes, limiting choice for tenants. www.gov.uk
www.emergencyservicestimes.com
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is working with IMServ Europe, one of the UK’s largest independent energy management providers, to gain a better understanding of its energy usage, and further drive GMP’s passion to be more sustainable. Helen Wilson, Sustainability Officer at GMP, explains, “In the current economic climate there is a growing pressure across all police branches to reduce costs and carbon emissions. One of the
ways we are approaching this challenge is to understand our energy usage, thus allowing us to make informed decisions on how we can reduce energy consumption and ultimately lower our bills.” IMServ’s micro-BMS is specifically designed to enable companies or organisations to monitor, understand and control building energy consumption such as lighting, heating, air conditioning and boilers. This can be done remotely and automatically, without interference from local staff. Helen continues, “We installed IMServ’s micro-building management solutions (BMS) into one of our smaller buildings which houses part of the IT department. This building is too small to warrant installing a full BMS system, however we had limited control over its energy usage and were keen to assess any areas for potential cost savings.” Over a three-month pilot period, the micro-BMS service provided GMP with an energy saving of 70 percent, with a return on investment achieved well within that time frame. Considerable cost savings were achieved, which help towards the force’s ultimate goal of reducing its energy bill. Helen said, “IMServ has enabled us to install a BMS system where it would not have been possible otherwise. By doing so we have been able to investigate, and improve energy consumption in the building, contributing to our ultimate goal of reducing the cost of energy used by the GMP.” www.imserv.com
Staffordshire scoops two top awards Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service is celebrating after scooping two top national awards. The service won the gold award for ‘Innovation’ and the bronze award for ‘Fire and Rescue Service Project of Year’ in the Improvement and Efficiency Social Enterprise Awards, which took place on 4 March at Church House, Westminster. It was the first time the service had entered the prestigious competition, which saw public sector organisations, councils and social enterprises across the country apply. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service was recognised for the ‘ST15’ misting branch, which forms the nozzle of a fire fighting hose. International company FireBug, which teamed up with the service in 2013 to develop and produce the tool, is selling the nozzle. It encapsulates science to use minimum water while achieving maximum results. It is the most water efficient nozzle on the market today and is approximately 65 percent more efficient than other comparative nozzles. www.staffordshirefire.gov.uk
Firefighters demonstrating the ST15 misting branch.
Emergency services drive to keep motorcyclists safer on the roads this summer Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) is teaming up with Northumbria Police’s Collision Investigation Unit and RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) to keep motorcyclists safer on the region’s roads. As the better weather approaches, motorcyclists will be getting back on their bikes and motorists will start to see more of them on the roads. This partnership is aimed at raising awareness to both groups to watch out for each other and stay as safe as possible on the roads. Area Manager Alan Robson, who is senior sponsor of the motorcycle section at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said, “I am delighted the service
is taking part in this initiative aimed at reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries we see on the roads.
The sessions on offer are completely free and will help motorcyclists to improve their driving, knowledge and skills which will help them to stay safer on the roads this summer.”
Combined efforts
(From L to R) John Ennis, RoSPA; Area Manager Alan Robson, TWFRS; PC Fraser Doherty Northumbria Police; Assistant Chief Fire Officer Chris Lowther, TWFRS; Crew Manager Stu Dobson, TWFRS; Firefighter Phil Waddell, TWFRS; and Watch Manager Dave Summers, TWFRS.
John Ennis, Chairman and Advanced Motorcycle Tutor of the local group of RoSPA Advance Drivers and Riders (RoADAR), said, “I am pleased to collaborate with the emergency services on road safety matters. Hopefully our combined efforts will help reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads.” www.twfire.gov.uk
April 2015