Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service received 81 calls over the weekend (September 21 and 22) regarding weather related incidents. Twenty-eight of these needed the Fire Service to attend and the 53 other cases have been able to receive advice over the phone. The county is currently under an Amber weather alert for rain until 9pm …
Farmers across Northamptonshire are being urged to be vigilant and take steps to reduce the risk of fire. Due to recent dry conditions, foliage and shrubbery are very dry and it doesn’t take long for a fire to spread and become significant. Despite the number of both deliberate and accidental fires decreasing since last year, …
Chief Fire Officer Nikki Watson has thanked Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) for their report, published today (Wednesday 18 September), which praised the “clear commitment of staff and leaders to improve” – but said that the Service needs to push on with planned improvements more quickly. Nikki said that she was …
Firefighters have remained at the scene of a fire in Harlestone Firs overnight and continue to monitor hotspots ahead of a Fire Investigation this morning (September 9). Crews were called to deal with a blaze in a derelict industrial unit on Harlestone Road yesterday (September 8), just before 4pm. On arriving crews discovered a rapidly …
Residents of Northamptonshire are being urged to check their chimneys and maintain them properly before the coming winter months. Typically, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service sees an increase in the number of call outs to chimney fires in the colder months, and has already attended three in the last two weeks. We are therefore reminding …
Chief Fire Officer Nikki Watson says Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue will take every learning opportunity it can from the publication of the Phase Two report of the Grenfell Tower Fire Inquiry. The report has been published this morning (September 4) and examines how the tower block came to be in a condition that allowed the …
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service was called shortly before 8.30pm last night (August 20) to reports of a fire at a business unit on St Andrew’s Road, Northampton. On arrival crews found a temporary scaffolding structure, which was storing items such as ladders and plastic, was alight. Northamptonshire Police attended to assist in closing St …
New kit will soon be added to all frontline Fire appliances in Northamptonshire to help firefighters speed up the triage of injured patients at major incidents. All fire engines will have ten-second triage kits, which allow fire crews to identify what category of care an injured patient needs within ten seconds and put a colour …
Landlords of derelict and void buildings are being urged to remember their responsibility to keep them safe and secure – and ensure they don’t become targets for anti-social behaviour. The Arson Task Force, which is a partnership between Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service and Northamptonshire Police, work together to reduce anti-social behaviour and arson related …
The Northamptonshire Local Resilience Forum (LRF), which brings together emergency services, local authority, NHS and other partners to plan and prepare for localised incidents and emergencies, has issued a joint message, thanking communities for their support and solidarity during the events of recent days… “This has been a difficult and challenging week for our communities …
Don’t leave candles burning when you leave the room.
You should always keep an eye on naked flames wherever they are!
Don’t plug too many plugs into a socket.
This can cause an electrical fire.
Never touch the oven or fireplace unless a grown up is with you.
Ask a grown up to check the smoke alarms once a month.
Never take the batteries out when it goes off by accident, you might forget to put them back in.
Unfortunately, the very features that provide this fast response can also produce unwanted signals arising from activities other than a real fire.
These can prove both costly both to the Fire Service, by initiating unnecessary turnouts of fire appliances and to the building operator. Evacuation of a building as a result of a false alarm signal can result in loss of production and general disruption of normal business activities.
Visit our Unwanted Fire Signals page for more details on our unwanted fire signal reduction policy.
Compliance with the simple rules below will help to release the fire service for more essential duties.
They may also help to save you from the permanent loss of business so frequently associated with a major fire.
Make sure you carry out a continuous fire risk assessment of your building ensuring the following points are followed:
Download the documents below for assistance with completing your risk assessment:
Blank Fire Risk Assessment Proforma (PDF 117KB) Fire Risk Assessment (worked example for office premises (PDF 462KB)
Fire Risk Assessment (worked example for House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)) (PDF 389KB)If you feel, having read the guidance, that you:
You will need to appoint a specialist to carry out the risk assessment for you. Such a specialist must identify the fire safety measures that need to be in place. You should maintain close involvement in the process.
The Fire Risk Assessment Competency Council have produced a document (Guidance Choosing a Competent Fire Risk Assessor) for information on how to select an appropriate person or organisation to carry out the risk assessment on your behalf.
The guide and other helpful documents are available via the link below:
Weather patterns in the UK usually mean that extreme conditions such as ice, snow and heavy rain can happen suddenly and can often leave drivers unprepared for what they might face on the roads.
Many drivers may fail to realise the extent to which extreme weather can affect aspects of driving such as visibility and stopping distances. Stopping distances can double in wet conditions and can increase ten-fold in ice and snow. Add to this the fact that reactions to hazards become impaired when drivers cannot see clearly, and the results can be fatal.
If possible, avoid driving in snow and other dangerous conditions such as fog, heavy rain and ice. Think about if there are any alternatives such as home-working arrangements; particularly if you live in a rural area.
Change the way you drive depending on the weather
The numbers of people choosing to cycle for fun, fitness or to get to work has increased by more than a quarter in twenty years and an incredible 3.2 billion miles are cycled on our roads every year.
Bikeability
Cycling is an effective sustainable mode of travel to school, however, all pupils cycling must be made aware of the need for safety and security when cycling. The National Standard Cycle Training is a progressive scheme that moves through three levels to give parents the reassurance that their children have the necessary skills and confidence to cycle to school. Children are encouraged to achieve all three levels of training. Bikeability is organised by our Highways Team in Northamptonshire. If you would like further information regarding Bikeability training please contact them on cycletraining@kierwsp.co.uk
Please visit the Think website for further information and safety tips on cycling.
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