What does third-party certification (TPC) mean for end users, and why should they look out for it? These vital questions are answered in a new whitepaper issued by the Fire Industry Association.
Importantly, TPC emphasises technical competency and safety in relation to, for example, the installation and subsequent maintenance of products and services.
Last Thursday, it was announced that Scotland’s firefighters had decided to vote against any strike action over reforms to their pensions.
As far as the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is concerned, the Scottish Government’s proposals presented “an attractive enough resolution” to curtail any threat of industrial action. Changes to actuarial reductions for retirements from the age of 55, for example, are deemed sufficient.
Talks in Scotland involving the FBU are ongoing in relation to decisions centred on reducing the number of control rooms from eight down to three Meanwhile, in England and Wales, the prospect of further strikes looms in the wake of the recent four-hour industrial action.
The Essex Fire and Rescue Service (EFRS) has backed its decision to spend GB pound 2 million on the installation of solar panels at 31 stations across the county.
According to a recent BBC report, the EFRS is budgeted for 822 firefighters on the books but at present is said to employ 28 fewer than that number. This has drawn criticism from the Fire Brigades Union, which says that the shortfall in staffing could mean some engines might not be able to be deployed.
EFRS deputy chief fire officer Adam Eckley told the BBC: “If we employed [more] firefighters this year, the likelihood is that we would have to make them redundant next year. We now have the right number.”
It has been estimated that the solar panels will save the fire service close to GB pound 200,000 per annum.
In a short video and press release, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has detailed some of the strangest 999 calls it receives.
One woman called for assistance because she’d found a spider on her pillow. Another reported being scared because there was a fox in her garden with “an odd look on its face.”
Control officers are able to accept emergency 999 calls on a round-the-clock basis, but non-emergencies waste both valuable time and resources. In 2012-2013, the LFB received 5,287 calls to which it did not send any engines. That works out to 100-plus unnecessary calls each week.
Pity one hysterical caller who rang because her mobile phone had fallen down the toilet. Thank goodness for land lines.
Last Tuesday, it was announced that Chris Williamson — the Labour MP for Derby North — had been replaced as a member of the Shadow Department for Communities and Local Government following Ed Miliband’s Shadow Cabinet reshuffle. Williamson had served in the role for three years.
A statement on the matter issued by the Fire Industry Association says:
Chris had a good grasp of the fire sector and, in particular, had made considerable efforts to get out and about to see the stakeholders in all parts of this large and disparate area. Chris was universally looked upon as a passionate campaigner, and the FIA looks forward to working with him again in the future.
Download the Fire Safety in 2023 eBook, keeping you up to date with the biggest news and prosecution stories from around the industry. Chapters include important updates such as the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and an overview of the new British Standard for the digital management of fire safety information.
Plus, we explore the growing risks of lithium-ion battery fires and hear from experts in disability evacuation and social housing.
