A crew from Rickmansworth cleared a significant amount of the tree enabling the lady resident to leave and receive the treatment she required.

Transcription

1 March edition 24 After the floods, the clean up begins Last month s flood water may have receded, and the torrential rail given way to a sunny spring, but flooding is still on the minds of fire crews across the county as they look back on their sterling efforts to protect homes and businesses and look forward to improving flood preparedness. Following widespread flooding in their area, Rickmansworth crews have been out and about providing advice to local businesses as part of the Ready for Anything campaign, covering issues such as what to do in an emergency. Meanwhile East Herts crews have been looking back on a particularly busy time, with several drivers needing rescuing from obviously flooded roads after mistakenly believing that their Audis, Volvos and Porches were amphibious vehicles. Despite valiant efforts to pump water away from homes, the crews were fighting a losing battle as the waters rose with some crews left wondering whether they d even be able to their stations themselves. Even our best efforts and equipment can t overcome that much rainfall. On the other side of the county, Watford and Garston were working round the clock to pump water away from Lower High Street, Watford to protect homes and businesses from rising flood waters that had blocked a major road. Thankfully they were able to prevent any serious damage and reopen the road 24 hours later. Meanwhile, residents of a house in Croxley Green had a narrow escape when a large tree fell in their garden, narrowly missing their house. Their car was not so fortunate however. The lady resident of the house uses a wheelchair and could not leave to receive urgent medical treatment. A crew from Rickmansworth cleared a significant amount of the tree enabling the lady resident to leave and receive the treatment she required. As more stories emerge it becomes clear that crews put in a brilliant effort to protect homes and businesses across the county, and to clear up after the storm.

2 Director s View At last we are seeing the first signs of spring, although the recent spate of inclement weather is a sharp reminder of the February floods. It is also a reminder of how important it is for us to keep our training and skills up to date for any such emergencies. While it is evident that call-outs for fires are on a decline; it was even more evident the significant role Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service played in facing the challenging conditions in our own county and in supporting our colleagues in other parts of the country overwhelmed by flooding. Consequently the importance of maintaining our already high standards of training is more than ever crucial for the fire service s evolving role in emergency situations. This is also proved by the collaborative working between blue light services, through JESIP s joint doctrine, to have a common approach to training and decision making at multi agency incidents. On this subject; lately I have noticed a considerable upturn in requests for me to speak at events that are all on the same subject; blue light integration and collaboration; my view is that this has always existed, but is becoming more explicit through ventures such as JESIP and closer collaboration on other issues such as community safety and back office functions. However I believe it is something that has to work locally and not something that can happen through forced mergers. Another excellent example of a joined up approach to delivering services is the recently launched scheme, Hertfordshire s Volunteers Incident Support Team (VIST). It provides a post- clear up service for vulnerable people who have experienced a traumatic event in their home such as a fire, flood or damage from severe weather. Once again the importance of training comes to the forefront with volunteers for this service receiving intensive, specialist training to fully prepare them for the role. I can t believe it s nearly a year since the last Long Service Awards, but it is, and this year s event is being held on 2 April. It is pleasing to see that there will be a mixture of awards being handed out, from the Long Service Medals, certificates for long service across our directorate and special awards for members of the public nominated for their selflessness in helping at incidents. I am looking forward to this evening for the opportunity to thank all those receiving awards for their commitment and support to our services. Finally, as many of you know one of our colleagues, Martin Graham retired at the end of last month, sadly due to ill-health. You will also know that Martin has achieved his ambition of being an author and has successfully published a book. I think this is an outstanding testament to Martin s attitude and is inspirational to us all. Note: HFRS Rugby section have arranged a fundraising match vs Cheshunt Rugby Club at the Saracens, Allianz Park, as a fund raiser for Martin and his family, on Saturday 10 May. Look out for more details in the April edition. Biker Down training from the Fire Bike team The Herts Fire Bike Team are launching a new Biker Down initiative to reduce the number and severity of motorcycle accidents across the county. The free course, aimed at riders of motorbikes, mopeds and scooters, teaches practical skills to help bikers avoid accidents. The course includes three modules: accident scene management motorcycle specific first-aid training classroom-based tuition on safer riding techniques Tony Smith, from the Fire Bike Team, explains: Instead of just teaching bikers about consequences, we believe that the information provided in Biker Down will encourage a sense of responsibility and a change in attitude, both in motorcyclists riding technique and how they react at the roadside. Biker Down was devised in Kent. It will now be delivered by Herts Fire Bike Team at local fire stations across Hertfordshire. Participants receive a certificate of attendance, a biker safety pack and a laminated aide memoir of what to do should they come across an accident. If you are interested in attending a course yourself please bikerdown@hertfordshire.gov.uk with the following details: Full Name Preferred Contact Address Mobile Number The name of your nearest fire station -

3 Hertfordshire supports Better Business for All Hertfordshire s local authorities are building a local partnership, based on the national Better Business for All initiative, to help regulators build strong relationships with local businesses and support economic growth. Guy Pratt, Assistant Director for Community Protection explains The Better Business for All Partnership is working to build trust between the private sector community and regulators and is intended to help support economic growth, which is one of the council s corporate priorities. This also features as a priority in Community Protection s own strategic plan. Our regulators have an important role to play in supporting economic growth and creating a level playing field in which business can flourish. This partnership is a significant commitment to future collaboration which will ensure Hertfordshire remains perfectly placed for business." The local partnership was proposed by officers from our Joint Protective Services team, where regulators in Trading Standards and Fire Protection already work closely together, to Hertfordshire s Chief Executives Group. This led to an event bringing together all the local authority regulators in the county including building control, environmental health, licensing, planning, fire safety and trading standards to consider what more they could do to support businesses in the county. The main theme from this event was the need to build stronger relationships and understanding between regulators and the business community. A steering group has now been set up for the partnership, chaired by Head of Protection John Boulter, with representatives from The Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Hertfordshire Chambers of Commerce Federation of Small Businesses Local Authority Economic Development group Hertfordshire County Council Hertfordshire Planning Group Environmental Health Group The Chair of the Regulators Forum A work plan containing six strands of work has been agreed. Each strand is designed to support growth by identifying, and attempting to resolve, issues that local businesses face. Officers from JPS have been leading on three of these strands. The first priority for the BBfA partnership was to create a charter that would detail the partnership s aims and outline what businesses can expect from Hertfordshire regulators. Johanna Foley from Trading Standards led on this piece of work and had the challenge of creating a charter that all 17 stakeholders would agree to. The charter was launched on 6 March at the Best Business Expo in Hemel Hempstead. The second priority has been the creation of an online regulation directory (that will be found on the LEP website) that will help businesses find out more about regulation and who to contact. Good progress on this priority has also been made, see Regulation.aspx Thirdly, Johanna Foley, from Trading Standards, has been leading on developing commercial awareness training that will be rolled out to all regulatory officers across Hertfordshire over the coming year, including the national regulators. This is intended to help officers have a good understanding of the complex nature of various businesses, the experiences and perception of regulators in Herts and, most importantly, the impact either positive or negative which a regulator can have on a business. Keep up to date with the BBfA work by #BetterRegulation and visiting Regulation.aspx

4 Noteworthy incidents Low blood sugar causes A1(M) crash On 26 February, White Watch Baldock attended an RTC on the A1(M) near Stotfold. A Range Rover had collided with an articulated lorry and to rest against the crash barrier in the central reservation causing heavy damage to the passenger side of the vehicle. The crew got to work and started casualty care on the male driver who was the only occupier of the vehicle, using the Lukas equipment to remove the driver s door to give better access. When the air ambulance team assessed the casualty they found that he was diabetic and had low blood sugar levels, which they believed had caused him to lose consciousness whilst driving. They administered medication to the driver and he was removed from the vehicle and taken to hospital. It was reported that he had no other serious injuries. House fire in Hemel On 17 March, crews from Hemel Hempstead and Kings Langley attended a house fire, with persons reported, on Highfield Lane in Hemel Hempstead. On arrival, smoke and flames were percolating from the front kitchen window where an elderly man had re-entered the property to try and rescue his two dogs. He was led to the safety of a neighbour s house where first aid was administered while the crews rescued his two dogs from the rear of the property. A BA team extinguished the fire with a hose reel jet and ventilated the property. However the kitchen had sustained a lot of damage, so SC Jackson requested the attendance of the Volunteer Incident Support Team (VIST). This was the VIST team s first call out and they spent just over an hour on the scene helping to clear up the debris. The gentleman s family and friends were very grateful for the support from both the VIST team and firefighters New fire engine for Sawbridgeworth fire station Sawbridgeworth Fire Station accepted the keys last month to their new fire engine, a MAN chassis JDC fire engine. This proud event was also tinged with sadness, as it also saw the departure of the last Dennis fire engine ever to be assigned to the station, following a long line of Dennis' dating back to their first in Before the new fire engine went 'on the run', the crew had to complete driver familiarisation and pump training due to the difference with the newer appliance. With the MAN, the crew now have access to a better pump, flow meters and other improvements that will help protect both the crew and community. The new fire engine is technically more advanced with a greater carrying capacity and is liveried up with fire safety messages with a modern battenburg scheme. CC Reynolds White Watch, Baldock and Letchworth

5 Noteworthy incidents Sprinklers save Galleria from Wonderbra fire A sprinkler system saved the Galleria Shopping Complex in Hatfield from a potentially serious fire, after an overheating extension lead started a small blaze at the back of the Wonderbra shop. Four appliances, from Hatfield, St Albans and Welwyn Garden City, were mobilised but luckily the heat from the flames activated a single sprinkler head in the shop, containing the fire to a small rear store until crews arrived on scene and extinguished it fully. What could have been a serious incident was quickly contained and the businesses either side of the Training centre help Hemel Gazette promote fire plans On 26 February, two reporters from the Hemel Gazette armed with video equipment visited the Training and Development Centre in Stevenage. affected unit were able to trade as normal the following day. Early hours shock for one Letchworth resident A Letchworth resident had a shock last month after discovering that the light they though was coming from a 40 watt bulb left on in their loft was actually the glow from a huge fire. Baldock and Letchworth Red Watch were mobilised to the house, in Broadwater Road, Letchworth, at around 4:30am on 7 February along with their retained colleagues. There were no real signs of fire as the crews approached the scene, but it was quickly apparent that there was a problem when they were greeted by the owner outside waving them in while in a state of undress. Inside, WC Bloxham found that the fire was certainly raging inside the loft but hadn t broken through into the floors below. As WC Bloxham briefed the crews the fire broke through the roof sending a shower of roof tiles crashing to the ground. The crews started to attack the fire head on from inside the building, with the first BA team making their way upstairs with a jet and a short extension ladder. However, this wasn t a simple job, and in the end it took five pumps and the aerial ladder platform from Watford to finally extinguish the fire, almost two hours later. While discovering the fire was an unwelcome shock for the home owner, it was a timely discovery as the damage could have been much worse if the fire had spread further before the alarm was raised discussed the development of fire. This gave the reporters a great opportunity to observe gasses igniting above their head and spreading across the ceiling. CC Jamie McIntyre discussed the need and importance of a fire plan within the home. Finally, a scenario was set within the Breathing Apparatus Gas Rig to demonstrate how smoke can spread within a compartment, quickly disorientating the occupants. and WC Wesley Cook Training and Development Centre They participated in a number of scenarios designed to help them write an article to promote the importance of fire plans within the home. The two reporters donned tunics, bump hats and dust masks while Tony Roscoe, using the cardboard as the fire loading, The day gave the service an opportunity to promote the importance of an escape plan and allowed us to promote the free home safety check service. The edited feature appeared online at

6 Partnership working at Older Persons Forum Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service was one of ten partner organisations represented at the recent Older Persons Forum in Park Street, St Albans, alongside other services such as Age UK, the police, Trading Standards and St Albans City and District Council s housing department. HFRS gave a presentation on fire safety in the home, how to identify the most vulnerable people and how they can best be supported. The role of the forum is to ensure that older people s voices are heard and to give them a channel through which they can influence the way services are provided, so as to improve their wellbeing. Young people in Watford get set for LiFE The future is looking brighter for 11 vulnerable young people after they recently attended a week long LiFE course at Watford Fire Station. One young person who attended the course explained how fun yet helpful it was in learning new skills. He said: Taking part in the course has helped me to think first before acting or saying something inappropriate. The course was brilliant and the trainers have made me feel more confident.... Road awareness training for Sherrardswood School Blue Watch Welwyn Garden City were invited back to Sherrardswood School for a third year to deliver a road awareness training (RATS) presentation to sixth form teenagers. Firefighter Murdoch used his charm and wit to convey strong messages about road safety to new drivers. He discussed the serious topic of drivers responsibilities and, in an easy going manner, encouraged debate and discussion on how to stay safe on the roads, the perils of drinking, texting and or being under the influence of drugs whilst driving. He ended the presentation by talking about his own experiences witnessing the aftermath of road traffic collisions, describing the equipment used at the scene, as well as the carnage and suffering which results from reckless behaviour on the roads. Anna Wright, head of the sixth form, said: Thank you so much for coming to visit the sixth form recently, they found the talk really informative - and a bit shocking in places!! Richard Hale pupils learn not to put out fire with water Red Watch Hertford visited pupils at Richard Hale School to give a demonstration on handling chip pan fires, including what not to do. They showed the effect of putting water onto a pan of boiling oil. The outcome of the demonstration is always spectacular, but can also be highly dangerous in an enclosed environment. The pupils spent 30 minutes with Firefighter Staples discussing the dos and don ts on how to deal with the situation and their feedback was that it was a great practical demonstration.

7 Red Watch springs into action in Hemel Hempstead Red Watch Hemel Hempstead took advantage of the recent sunny spring weather and went into the town centre to give fire safety advice to passers by. Children had a chance to dress up like a fire fighter, whilst the crew handed out safety leaflets and managed to interest 25 people in arranging home fire safety visits. Pupils from Newberries School enjoy firefighting induction Over 40 children at Newberries Primary School in Radlett enjoyed an entertaining and educational presentation by the fire crew of White Watch Borehamwood. The crew roped in the teacher as a demonstration model, to the delight of the pupils and firefighters alike. Once their teacher was dressed as a firefighter, the children were given the opportunity to ask questions about the modern day fire and rescue service. Better still, they were later given the opportunity to climb into the fire engine and sample a hose reel jet and other firefighting equipment Garston visit Hare Krishna base Blue Watch Garston recently visited the Bhaktivendanta Manor in Garston, the headquarters of the Hare Krishna movement. The purpose of the visit was originally to update the risk inspection, but the crew also learnt about the movement, the traditional farm on site and about the various festivals they hold throughout the year. This has lead to the station being invited back to be involved with various events throughout the year and to give fire safety talks to children attending the onsite primary school. ALP training at Knebworth House Blue Watch Stevenage took full advantage of an offer to train with the Aerial Ladder Platform at Knebworth House one of the risks identified on their station ground. The ALP cage operator, Ff Barry Hallybone, made the exercise look easy despite the difficulty of the pitch a daunting task considering the Grade 1 listed status of the house and the number of onlookers, not to mention the stony faced gargoyles. Operating the ALP at its maximum capability the cage was manoeuvred without incident. The Knebworth House staff had an opportunity to interact with the duty crew and the crew refreshed their operation knowledge of the site. All in all a valuable mornings training.

8 Rickmansworth training with the Royal Navy Saturday 8 March saw the first of what will hopefully be joint biannual training between personnel from Rickmansworth Fire Station and the Royal Navy based at Northwood Command Centre. Since early 2013 Lieutenant Jon Littman (Royal Navy) and Watch Commander Sean Good (Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service) have been trying to arrange joint exercises aimed at improving command, leadership, teamwork and management within both services. Fourteen navy personnel took part in four exercises Breathing Apparatus search and rescue Maintaining constant water supply using major and light weight pumps lifting from open water Controlled lift of car using air mats and Lukas ram Following and searching off guide and branch guidelines and casualty handling. Three of the exercises were held at Rickmansworth and one at the smoke house at Watford. Large quantities of equipment were very kindly loaned to Rickmansworth from Training and Development Centre, allowing Rickmansworth to remain fully operationally ready throughout and ensure that all participants were kept active during the day. During the overall debrief at the day s conclusion all personnel from both services felt they had gained from the events. Navy personnel felt that they had learned more about themselves as individuals from wearing Breathing Apparatus in the smoke filled building, while working to achieve the pumping task required the greatest level of teamwork. Similar future events to be hosted by Navy personnel are scheduled for late 2014 and early 2015 with locations at Northwood and the ship fire fighting facility at Bristol identified. Harrow Court district exercise Crews from North Herts and Stevenage district took part in a five pump high-rise exercise at Harrow Court last month. Thanks to a partnership established with Stevenage Homes, whenever a vacant property in one of the town s high-rise blocks becomes available it is offered to the fire service for training purposes. These opportunities do not come up very often. So when SC Les Jones received an late one Friday afternoon, saying that we could have the use of a vacant flat in Harrow Court from the following Monday, it was a case of organising an exercise as soon as possible. With help from the district team, two exercises were organised. The crews who attended were able to practice implementing full high-rise procedures, using the coiled hose method to deploy the fire fighting jet, which worked extremely well.

9 Longfield s fire behaviour training goes down well The fire crew of White Watch, Borehamwood highly rated the fire behaviour training they received from at the Longfield Training and Development Centre in Stevenage. High-rise exercise for East Herts crews A high-rise exercise was held on Tuesday 25 February for Sawbridgeworth, Much Hadham and Bishop s Stortford retained crews. The scenario was a fire on the roof of Tower Heights, Hoddesdon with persons reported. The exercise was designed to test the initial incident command stages, the setting up of the bridgehead, charging the dry riser and the OIC handovers as other crews arrived, with the last handover to a flexi-duty officer. The agenda covered the theory of fire behaviour, signs and symptoms of backdrafts and flashovers as well as the importance of correct ventilation. There was an open discussion about the pros and cons of using positive pressure ventilation fans. Part two of the training day was a practical exercise at Luton airport. Pallets were heated in hot cans to approximately 200 degrees. The crews used a thermal imaging camera to locate the source of the fire and then practiced zoning and branch techniques. The personal protective equipment reportedly held up well. All crews worked hard and extremely well together and the objective of exercise was achieved with all persons rescued. A thorough de-brief was held afterwards with the learning points and good practices discussed. WC Gary Bailey East Herts & Broxbourne retained support Radiation training for Hemel Green Watch Green Watch Hemel Hempstead has recently had training on how to deal with radiation incidents. After a refresher course on using the detection equipment carried on the decontamination and environmental protection unit (DEPU), they carried out a practical exercise using the radiation simulation equipment stored at the Training and Development Centre in Stevenage, which can simulate beta and gamma radiation emitters. The kit also comes with a specially adapted electronic personal dosimeter (EPD) which measures exposure to radiation and a RADOS radiation survey meter. There were two scenarios in the training session. In the first, the RADOS survey meter was used to create a safe working area within an area contaminated by a gamma radiation leak. With the beta probe attached, the team located the liquid emitter which had been split and made it safe.

10 Baldock and Letchworth Fire Station hosts school cook recruitment drive The Herts HR team decided to go out into the community with a proactive recruitment drive to find cooks, cook managers and catering assistants for local schools. On 26 February they held an open day at Baldock and Letchworth fire station, hosted by White Watch. Having tried traditional recruiting methods such as newspaper advertisements, the team of two were keen to try this alternative method. It was promoted through the local jobcentre and hertsdirect.org website. Brenda McMahon, HR resourcing team officer commented: I am grateful to Frank Gollogly for allowing us to use the site and the White Watch team were very professional and welcoming. We hope the session will prove successful and hope to undertake similar initiatives in the future. The session succeeded in attracting candidates, but if anyone knows of anyone interested in applying for a catering post, they should contact Brenda McMahon on or Crystal Mack on or search on hertsdirect.org: Preventative partnership work to reduce fire risk Following a call out to a smoke filled residential property White Watch Hemel Hempstead have been working closely with Dacorum Borough Council (DBC) to minimise the risk of a more severe fire breaking out in the future. The resident was struggling to maintain the property there was rubbish in the kitchen and other rooms and a problem with electrical leads and multiple plugs which had caused the problem in the first place. The team have worked together to get help for the resident, who is temporarily leaving the property whilst a clean up and fumigation takes place. Once they return to their home, the team will continue to monitor their situation to ensure that they remain safe and that the situation doesn t deteriorate again Santa for Dogs it s not just for Christmas Three years ago James Bull (Herts Fire and Rescue) and Francesca Harris (East of England Ambulance) set up Santa for Dogs to arrange a local collection of items that could be delivered to animal shelters and rescue centres over the Christmas period. James said, "We had both been long-time animal welfare campaigners but we wanted to do something extra for Christmas. It s a time of year that is often cold and the rescue shelters rely heavily on donated items due to lack of funding. We purposely avoided asking for money as we know times are hard for everyone. Instead we asked for items that could be used by the shelters like food, toys, bedding or medicines. Old and new items alike, we would put them to good use and it proved really popular from the outset. We were completely overwhelmed by the generosity of those who donated items and the shelters that took our deliveries were genuinely surprised that people would go to that much effort. Christmas is a time for giving after all!" That first year proved so successful, that James and Francesca decided to make it a year round charity, arranging other events during the year and not just at Christmas. Last year saw the biggest collection so far with hundreds of items being donated. Hitchin Fire Station was utilised as a drop-off point to involve the local community, helping to spread fire safety message at the same time and collecting details of anyone who needed a home fire safety check. With Francesca out of action having a baby, James and Nikki Harvey (Herts Fire Investigation Dog Handler) set across the county for a long day of deliveries. Benefitting from the generosity this year were Animal Rescue Charity and Mutts in Distress in Bishops Stortford, RATS (rehoming animal telephone service) in Buntingford and Blue Cross in Kimpton. Once again, the rescue centres were extremely thankful. Some deliveries were still coming in after Christmas and so Rachael Broom (Hitchin Fire Station) has been taking items to Heathlands Animal Sanctuary in Royston. James would like to thank all the friends, family, colleagues and members of the public for their generosity again this year, Rachael Broom and Dean Morris (Hitchin) for their help with the collection point and Nikki Harvey for her help on the day.

11 Fire Fighters Charity update at Baldock and Letchworth Stuart Kirby, a regional representative from the Fire Fighters Charity, came to update staff at the Baldock and Letchworth fire station on Tuesday 25 February. The session was open to all district staff on or off duty and many attended from Baldock, Hitchin and Royston stations, although staff based at Stevenage were unable to attend as they were involved in training. session was informative and I would recommend it to other stations. If you would like to arrange a visit from Stuart Kirby, please ring Topics covered included: facilities offered by the charity who is eligible for services and how they can access them fundraising ideas and methods Stuart also provided a hand out and a form for those who regularly make donations to the charity to complete, to allow tax relief to be claimed. Ff Andy Cropley, from Hitchin said: I have had personal experience of receiving the services offered by the charity and am a great supporter of what the charity does for firefighters and their families. The 1,400 donation to the Fire Fighters Charity in memory of Bob Scott Cate Scott has made a donation of just over 1,400 to the Fire Fighters Charity in memory of her late husband, Bob. The money was raised through a memorial collection and online fundraising webpage called In memory of Bob, which was set up by Cate and daughters Deborah and Elizabeth, following Bob s unexpected death last October. Bob had been a full time firefighter, serving at Bishop s Stortford and Hertford for a number of years, before moving on to pastures new. Later he returned to work with Cate as a Community Safety Volunteer and over the next five years he gave thousands of hours of his own time to help make the community a safer place to live. Cate spoke about the donation, saying: Bob was always a supporter of the charity and he was ever willing to help others in any way he could. He thoroughly enjoyed his role as Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service volunteer and also enjoyed the great working relationship and camaraderie that he shared with many, so this seemed like a very fitting way to pay tribute to him. Cate, Deborah and Elizabeth would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone within the HFRS for all the kindness, care, love, support and messages of sympathy that they have received. John Print, who is the service s co-ordinator for the Fire Fighters Charity, has written to Cate and her family thanking them for the generous donation and extending, yet again, condolences on behalf of HFRS following Bob s untimely death.

12 Y u are a star... This month s You are a Star winner is Jaqui Trotman, Quality and Performance Manager in the JPS Citizen Team. Jaqui has worked exceptionally hard to guide the Joint Protective Services group through the recent successful Customer Service Excellence assessment. This has involved a considerable amount of additional work, pulling together documents, chasing up evidence from staff across JPS to support the application, identifying and addressing any gaps in our submission and chairing the CSE steering group which has overseen this project over the last year. The CSE Assessor was particularly impressed by the body of evidence that Jaqui had produced to support the submission as well as the programme prepared for him during the two days of assessment, for which Jaqui rightly deserves the credit. Do you know someone who goes that extra mile to make a big difference? Please send your nominations for the You are a Star award to protect@hertfordshire.gov.uk HFRS fitness advisor shortlisted for award HFRS s Fitness Advisor Jay Provan has been shortlisted for the UK Fitness Professional of the Year. Jay has been shortlisted down to the final 10 candidates from several hundred contenders. You can show your support for Jay by voting using the link below. Simply click on Jay s picture and you will be taken to a screen to complete your vote. Voting closes on 16 June. Boxing award for Bob Williams Watch Commander Bob Williams (White Watch Borehamwood) was awarded the inaugural Dean Powell memorial trophy at the prestigious British Boxing Board of Control Southern Area awards this month. Bob was presented with the award in recognition of his work on the Box Cleva initiative and for his charitable work in the boxing community as a fundraiser for amateur clubs. Bob received the solid bronze trophy at an awards evening at the Grange City Hotel by Tower Bridge, attended by the Chairman and General Secretary of the BBBoC as well as world champions and the boxing community from the Southern Area.

13 Firefighters Pension Contributions from 1 April 2014 NFPS FPS The pension contribution rates and bandings for the New Firefighters Pension Scheme have been revised from 1 April 2014 and a table showing the new rates can be found in the new scheme guide on the LPFA website: Scheme/Scheme-Guide.aspx The pension contribution rates and bandings for the Firefighters Pension scheme have also been revised from 1 April 2014 and a table showing the new rates can be found in the new scheme guide, again on the LPFA website: Scheme/Scheme-Guide.aspx Additionally if you are currently unable to achieve a full pension and want to pay additional contributions to increase your pension up to the scheme maximum, you will find a Pension Calculator which has been created to show you the effect of additional contributions here: Scheme/Additional-60ths.aspx Additionally if you are currently unable to achieve a full pension and want to pay additional contributions to increase your pension up to the scheme maximum, you will find a Pension Calculator which has been created to show you the effect of additional contributions here: Scheme/Additional-60ths.aspx Equalities Statement: In addition, you can view DCLG s equalities statement relating to the increases to contribution rates from 1 April This is intended to consider the impact of the 2014 to 2015 pension contribution increases on protected groups: Baldock Watch Commander gains a distinction Congratulations to Watch Commander Andy Springett who has achieved the grade of distinction in the examination for the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. This award is a professionally recognised qualification and requires students to study a range of subjects followed by written and practical assessments. Station Commander Frank Gollogly said To achieve a distinction requires lots of study and hard work and I am really pleased Andy s efforts have been recognised in his final grade. Well done to Andy for this excellent result White Watch Watford meet Olympic athlete On 18 February White Watch Watford visited a children s half-term holiday camp for a fire safety visit. They were delighted to find out that their visit coincided with that of Charlotte Henshaw. Charlotte is an Olympic athlete who has represented Great Britain at the 2008 summer Paralympics in Beijing, and again in 2012 at the London games, where she won the silver medal in the 100m breaststroke. Charlotte was born with bilateral tibial hypoplasia her lower legs were under-developed, which resulted in her legs being amputated above the knee when just 18 months old. She began swimming at the age of four and represented Great Britain at the age of 16. Charlotte is currently in training for the next Olympic games in Rio where we wish her all the best.

14 Cheshunt teenagers Learn 2 Live Cheshunt young people heard first hand accounts of the horrific consequences of road traffic accidents at Broxbourne Civic Hall this month. During the Learn 2 Live event, students from St Mary s and Goff s School listened to family members, the fire service, police and air ambulance who described the impact of road accidents. Practical guidance was also provided by trading standards about the purchase and maintenance of second hand cars. One said: "Learn 2 Live was eye opening for me because I've just started driving lessons. You just don't think about the responsibility. It's not just your life it's your friends as well." Another student explained: "Learn 2 Live was powerful enough to really make me take in the message and think about everything. I don't want it to be my story someone else is hearing about in a couple of years." Over 2014, Learn 2 Live events will take place in a variety of venues across Hertfordshire. This initiative is delivered by Hertfordshire Road Safety Partnership which includes the county council s road safety team, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, the police and air ambulance. The statistics show that 17 to 24 year-olds are at an increased risk of being involved in traffic collisions. In Hertfordshire alone last year there were 93 serious injury or fatal road traffic collisions involving this age group. That s why an event like this is so important. Students who attended the event described Learn 2 Live as intense, hard-hitting and something that helped them to think about the consequences of dangerous driving. Council tax: another freeze means good news for residents Residents will again not be asked to pay a penny more in council tax this year. The County Council agreed last month to freeze council tax for the fifth year in a row for a wide range of services - from schools and social care to Fire and Rescue and maintenance of the county s 3,000 miles of roads. Band D properties continue to pay 1, a year for the county council s portion of the bill the same amount as in 2009/10. Had bills gone up with inflation, Band D residents would have been paying approximately 169 more for their 2014/15 bill. This has been made possible by the 172 million of annual saving that we will hgave delivered by the end of 2014/15, while largely protecting the range and quality of the front-line services we provide. However, with estimated further savings of 107 million needed by 2017/18, more needs to be done. We ve been gathering the public s views and those of community groups, business leaders and county representatives of the UK Youth Parliament on where money should be saved and will be taking those opinions into account before making any decisions.

15 JPS recognised for Customer Service Excellence It was recently announced that Joint Protective Services (JPS) application to be awarded Customer Service Excellence status has been successful. This is the culmination of an 18 month project which has been going on in JPS to build on the good practice in place in Trading Standards (who had secured this prestigious status a few years ago) and roll this out across other elements of JPS with the aim not only of improving customer satisfaction but also of introducing and embedding service improvements to drive up performance. The Customer Service Excellence standard tests in great depth those areas that research has indicated are a priority for customers, with particular focus on delivery, timeliness, information, professionalism and staff attitude. There is also emphasis placed on developing customer insight, understanding the user s experience and robust measurement of service satisfaction. While JPS await a formal report detailing the assessor s comments on JPS strengths and any potential areas for improvement, the teams have already had some very positive verbal feedback from the assessor from what he has saw and heard during his visit and analysis of the written submission, acknowledging a number of examples where various initiatives within JPS were demonstrating 'model practice' in customer service excellence. Assistant Director of Community Protection, Guy Pratt said. Though it's great to have this formal recognition, this has never been about 'chasing the badge' but rather us building on good practice and making sure that the needs of our 'customers', be they partner organisations, service users or our staff are properly considered when delivering our services, making the most of their feedback and the intelligence which it provides for us to improve our individual and collective performance. Well done to everyone who has helped JPS achieve this recognition Safety Event Feedback Table Issue Findings Outcome & progress Although a road closure was in place, two vehicles drove at speed through the operational incident scene passing over a length of hose. This could have resulted in serious or fatal injury and damage to service equipment. The police initially controlled traffic but Herts Highways took over and in the interim two vehicles drove through the road block. Crews are reminded that they should ensure road closures are maintained and are as robust as possible. Incident commanders should constantly monitor the effectiveness of road closures. Whilst a firefighter was fitting a smoke detector the screwdriver in use slipped puncturing his finger. On examination the screwdriver tip had worn causing it to slip from the screw head. The screwdrivers provided were found to be inadequate for the task and will be replaced. However insignificant, all equipment used for a task should be checked before use for suitability and condition. Equipment and tools should be replaced when damaged or defective. Member of support staff injured her back when moving a heavy object. Another member of support staff sustained a cut injury when manually handling an object. The first injury was not reported until two weeks after the occurrence following a period of absence, although it is acknowledged that there may be a delay in the symptoms of back strain. The second injury involved handling an unusual object (metal ducting). Injuries, however minor they may appear at the time, should be reported by staff promptly to their line manager. Staff should always seek assistance to move heavy or awkward items or find alternative methods for the task. Whilst using a rowing machine a member of staff injured their wrist resulting in a sprain which was confirmed by A&E. The individual was reminded to ensure they warm up and warm down when using gym equipment. It is essential that personnel are familiar with gym and fitness equipment prior to use. Personnel should only work out within their own limitations.

16 Officer s book gets rave reviews Martin Graham has had rave reviews after publishing his first novel, Ignis Fatuus, six months ago. You may or may not know that Martin was diagnosed with motor neurone disease two years ago and has now retired from HFRS after 25 years service. But despite the struggles facing him through his condition, he has already started work on his second book. Martin said recently The book is doing really well, and seems to be well received. I don t suppose that was the objective I just wanted to write a book, get my name on the cover and put it on the shelf, but it seems to be going from strength to strength. The book tells the story of Connor, who aims to create the perfect crime. The complex plot follows him from sub-saharan Africa to the highlands of Scotland. Martin said the name comes from will-o -the-wisp an atmospheric light from folklore which draws travellers away from safe paths. It s not my genre, to be honest I don t really know where it s come from but it s been quite an adventure. He poses the question given the chance to get away with a crime, would you do it? Martin takes influence from his favourite authors J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, Frederick Forsyth and Charles Dickens. At work, when I used to write reports I got accused of being too flowery, he said. We have a wonderful language and I like to use as much of it as I can. The book has sold over 200 paper copies so far and is also available on Kindle. As well as glowing reviews on Amazon, Martin said his friends and colleagues had been supportive too. A lot of people have said they really enjoyed it, he said. Whether they are being charitable or just good friends, they ve said they picked it up to have a quick browse and found themselves sucked in. He has even been invited to visit a book club in Buntingford as a guest author. Writing is something I wanted to do for years, he said, 25 years in the fire service, you re exposed to quite a few things. These are my experiences. It s based on what I know to be true. Ignis Fatuus is available on Amazon. SC Sean Comerford Hellos CLIVE ROBINSON - BALDOCK RETAINED NATASHA HUTCHINGS - FIRE PROTECTION STEPHANIE WHIFFEN - COMMAND & CONTROL Goodbyes December PHILIP POWELL - HARPENDEN RETAINED MARTIN ARROWSMITH - SHQ HERTFORD ANTHONY LOCK - KINGS LANGLEY RETAINED LOUISE BARNARD - CHESHUNT January JOHN GOLDING - POTTERS BAR CHRISTOPHER GOODSHIP - HERTFORD ASHLEY THEAKSTONE - SHQ HERTFORD ADRIAN BELL - STEVENAGE February CRAIG GRIFFIN - HODDESDON RETAINED ADAM WAUGH - SAWBRIDGEWORTH RETAINED CHRISTINE SPEAR - LONGFIELD STUART GAVIN - WELWYN RETAINED OLIVER EATON - GARSTON Carewell Do you need someone to talk to in confidence? You can call the Occupational Health Unit on or Carewell on , seven days-a-week, 24 hours a day. Information and advice is also available online at You will need to enter the username and password to access the site