Beyond Cover - Cornwall Council · 2017-08-07 · Beyond Cover Issue 25 News from Cornwall Fire, Rescue and Community Safety Service A service of Cornwall Council August 2017 Light

Beyond CoverIssue 25

News from Cornwall Fire, Rescue and Community Safety Service A service of Cornwall Council

August 2017

Light Rescue Pump Appliance

Research Trip

Counter Terrorism

Phoenix Community Engagement and Training

St Michaels Mount Exercise

Bude firefighters become worldwide global heroes

Training Our Recruits

Introduction by Paul Walker, Chief Fire Officer

Cabinet Member Introduction by Edwina Hannaford and Sue James

• Partnership Working

Counter Terrorism

Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Argus Partnership Working

Devonport nuclear emergency planning for children and young people


• Community Engagement

VIP Visit to Truro Community Fire Station for students from The Roseland School

Body Warn Video Devices used on Patrols in St Ives

Blue Light Day

Hoarding success story

Kill the conversation, keep your eyes on the road

Speed and stopping distances campaign

Look, Share, Be Bike Aware Campaign

Work Experience

‘Are you dying to get wrecked?’

Contents3

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Cycle Safety Advocate Initiative

• Income Generation


Phoenix Services: Launceston Community Fire Station attend Steam Rally Demonstration

• Team Developments

What is Community Safety?

• Our People

Training and Development Review

St Ives Training Scenario with West Country Ambulance

Rosenbauer, Austria Research Trip

Positive Action

Recruitment and Training our recruits

Slap Bands Dementia – new look bands

Understanding Diabetes

What is Hypoglycaemia and Hyperglycaemia?

Cornwall Pride 2017

• Upcoming Campaigns

• Letters of Appreciation

• Sport

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2 Beyond Cover August 2017

1. PreventTo improve the health, safety and wellbeing of people and places most at risk.

2. ProtectTo protect businesses, people, the local economy and environment.

3. RespondTo deliver an effective and efficient emergency response and support recovery.

4. InnovateThinking and working differently to make the best use of all resources.

5. PerformBe a high performing organisation.

Priorities key to explain what we are achieving within each article

Our key objectives ensure that we deliver the best and most effective service possible for the people of Cornwall. After each article look for the icons that show what priorities we are reaching.

Introduction

Welcome to the summer edition of Beyond Cover which again is a bumper edition celebrating and providing details from

some of our wide reaching delivery, support, community safety and localism services.

A busy few months since our April edition where we have experienced high levels of operational FRS activity here in Cornwall as well as supporting extremely vulnerable people with complex needs through our community safety and localism teams. Whether gorse fires in St Agnes, rough sleepers in Truro or Penzance, prevention or protection initiatives across Cornwall the professionalism and dedication of our staff is not only impressive but appreciated and I remain extremely proud to lead our service.

Following the recent local elections we have two new Cabinet Members, Cllr Sue James for Environment and Public Protection and Cllr Edwina Hannaford for Neighbourhoods. I very much look forward to working with both Edwina and Sue over the coming years and I am sure you will join me in welcoming them both as visits to staff and teams are planned over the next two months.

Personally and on behalf of the Service I would also like to wish ACFO Phil Martin and his family a long, happy and healthy retirement as Phil retires at the beginning of August. I know Phil will be missed by all friends and colleagues with his contribution to our Service recognised and appreciated by all. Good luck and best wishes Phil!

I would also like to congratulate Vicky Wallens-Hancock on her appointment as ACO Service Support and Mark Hewitt on his appointment to ACFO Head of Operations. I know Mark and Vicky will be out visiting staff to discuss key areas of work, our challenges, our successes and I very much look forward to working with them both over the coming years.

My April challenge was for staff to be an active member of their local community. I hope the summer season of community fire station open days and local events is a spring board for you to meet neighbours, local residents and business owners to explore community needs and plan community led projects to address them.

I would like to conclude by thanking all staff and partners for their ongoing professionalism and dedication, to all contributors to this edition of Beyond Cover for taking the time to share their thoughts. I would also like to thank the editorial team for co-ordinating and yet again producing an informative and interesting publication that celebrates the wide reaching work and positive community outcomes you deliver on a daily basis.

Paul WalkerChief Fire Officer and Director of Resilient Cornwall

Paul Walker, CFO

Beyond Cover August 2017 3

Councillor Edwina Hannaford is the divisional member for Looe West Lansallos and Lanteglos and newly elected portfolio for Neighbourhoods. Edwina has been a Cornwall Councillor since the inception of the Unitary Council and prior to this a Caradon District Councillor. Unusually, Edwina

has two community fire stations in her division in Looe and Polruan.

Edwina said, “The Cornwall Fire, Rescue and Community Safety Service is an integral and well respected part of Cornwall, helping to keep us all safe and protected; whether full time and on-call, firefighters are always there in our hour of need, serving the public. They are entwined in community life supporting community and civic events, I even hold my Councillor surgery in the community room in Polruan Community Fire Station and organise an annual May Fayre in Looe Community Fire Station. Firefighters are always courteous and keen to help. I am looking forward to working with Sue, meeting staff and crews and supporting and championing the service in any way I can.”

Councillor Edwina HannafordCornwall Councillor - Looe West, Lansallos and Lanteglos Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods

Councillor Sue James, who joined the Cabinet for the first time in June, is serving her second term on Cornwall Council. Before the re-organisation of the Committees in the last administration Sue served on Homes and Communities Portfolio Advisory Committee

(PAC) so is aware of the ‘can do’ attitude or our Fire Service staff and says she knows that they are trusted and treasured by the public. “As portfolio holder for Environment and Public Protection I know that I am responsible for many aspects of the Council’s services that the public only think about if something fails to meet their expectations or a crisis arises in their lives or communities. I am looking forward to us all working together to ensure we help communities to build up their resilience and know I can rely on staff to creatively collaborate across traditional boundaries to pioneer in developing the very best services for Cornwall.”

Councillor Sue JamesSt Just-in-Penwith Division Cornwall Council Cabinet Member for Environment & Public Protection

Cornwall Pride 2017Cornwall Pride is taking the celebration of diversity to Newquay this year. On Saturday 26 August 2017, the Phoenix Services fire appliance will be leading the parade and we will be taking the new trip through the main street of Newquay and finishing in Killacourt for the party in the park for the afternoon.

Our Service theme this year is raising awareness of domestic abuse and we are saying we want people to #shOUT about domestic abuse.

As always we will be keeping close to our Council colleagues, along with members across our Community Safety team and their vital partners, Phoenix Services and we are very excited about our 999 collaboration this year; we certainly have a great attendance already confirmed, but there is always room for more! If you would like to join the Service at Cornwall Pride and be more involved, then please email me at:

[email protected]

If you would like to walk the parade then meet at Beach Road Car Park at 11am (it starts at midday). As always you, friends and family will be more than welcome to join us.

Group Manager Kathryn BillingHR and Training


Counter Terrorism Partnership Working

Terrorist groups use violence and threats of violence to publicise their causes and as a means to achieve their goals.

As well as maintaining a register of the most likely hazards to affect our area (i.e. flood, flu pandemic, marine accidents), the Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Resilience Forum is also developing a Malicious Threats Register. This ‘terror threat’ register provides us with an awareness of the most likely forms of terrorist attacks in our country so that we can consider the plans we have in place and what we need to do in order prepare ourselves.

In order to make progress in these preparations, in October 2016, Resilience and Emergency Management began developing the Critical Threat Project. The aim of this project is to ensure that Cornwall Council, working in partnership with external organisations, has plans in place, when the international threat level is raised to critical.

The Critical Threat Level Project involves ensuring that:

• key Council properties are assessed and their vulnerability to terrorist attacks is reduced,

• all Cornwall Council employees are aware of the immediate actions following a terrorist incident,

• those in charge of activating ‘critical threat level’ policies and procedures are aware of their roles,

• where possible, actions between Cornwall Council and its external partners are integrated during the planning for and response to a local terrorist attack.

The day after the terrorist attack at the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena, the Prime Minister raised the international threat level to critical; meaning a further attack was considered imminent. Resilience and Emergency Management activated the Council’s

response – one of advice rather than panic; writing briefing notes for Council Leadership Team, liaising with regional strategic partners at information sharing teleconference calls and helping review our internal press releases.

In the wake of the subsequent attack on London Bridge, now more than ever, it is important that we prepare and protect ourselves, our buildings and ultimately, our communities. Therefore, as part of the Critical Threat Level Project, Resilience and Emergency Management will be offering counter terrorism awareness training to all Cornwall Council employees through Project Griffin.

Project Griffin is the country’s counter terrorism awareness initiative for business produced by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) which holds briefing events to increase public and staff awareness of how best to reduce and respond to the most likely types of terrorist activities.

From June to September, we shall be focussing on providing awareness to key staff such as fire wardens, security, receptionists and the Contact Centre. We shall then be a position to offer counter terrorism awareness training to all Cornwall Council employees and Councillors. Look out for these awareness opportunities through ERP and the learning and development pages.

As shown in Paris, Brussels, Nice and more recently, Manchester and London, attacks can happen anywhere. We all need to be vigilant, have more awareness of what to do if we find ourselves involved in a terrorist incident and enable people to recognise and report suspicious activity.

Sharon Watts Senior Resilience Officer


On-call firefighters from Falmouth Community Fire Station have been working in partnership with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Argus during a recent visit to Falmouth Docks. Crews were tasked to rescue two casualties from below decks using safety at height and confined space (SHACS) equipment supported by Group Training Instructor’s (GTIs) Martyn Addinall and Lee Thomas. Working in an environment that was unfamiliar, hot and noisy crews had to work dynamically to invent a safe system of work so as to ensure the casualties could be rescued.

See article below for full account of the training day from RFA Argus.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Argus Partnership Working

Falmouth Community Fire Station provide training to Royal Fleet Auxiliary As part of our training as engineering apprentices we must complete a search and rescue exercise, we were excited to find out that we had been invited to Falmouth Community Fire Station to undertake our training with the expert guidance and instruction from the professionals.

On the day of the exercise our spirits were high and we were all looking forward to the experience. Upon our arrival at the fire station we unloaded our breathing apparatus (BA) sets and were introduced to the firefighters who would be running the exercise.

Back row left to right: Tony McGuire (CFRS), Mentor 3/O(E) Andy Williams, Steve Manchester, Mike Finley, Ben Hyde, Connor O’Neill, Darren Jones, Craig Frame, Ralf Phillips P/O(Q), Ian Laurie (CFRS). Front row left to right: Sam Lockwood, Mark Brady, Robert Martin, Luke Purdy, Tom Isaacs

The exercise brief was a search and rescue, with a charged fire hose, of a two story building that was filled with smoke. There were no details of how many casualties there may have been, or any details of the building and its furnishings.

We were shown the correct re-entry procedure and talked through the search method. The scenario was set that it was a fire in a residential building at 3am. This prompted us to think about where the possible casualties may have been; in bed, hiding in cupboards or under furniture, were a few of our suggestions. We were then divided up into three teams and set about getting ready. Team one went on air and entered the smoke filled maze; dragging an unwilling fire hose with them.

The first few moments in the building were chaos, everyone in the team was blinded by the thick generated smoke, disorientated and relying completely on what they could feel with their feet and their free hand. The confusion and panic mixed with the physical act of searching and heaving the heavy hose with them, meant that everyone was breathing much heavier than normal. Team two were waiting outside assisting with the fire hose, feeding it into the building as they felt the others inside demanding more.

Partnership Working


After what seemed like ages, the instructor inside the building, who was keeping a watchful eye on everyone with a thermal imaging camera, reported that team one were lost and could not find the door to the stairs. This made everyone outside chuckle “how could they get lost in a ten meter square room?” the laughter was short lived when the team returned to clean air exhausted and reported their findings to team two. The information was excellent, a rough map of the layout and a confirmation that the ground floor was clear of casualties as well as expressions of how difficult it is.

Team two donned their BA’s and entered into the building with high hopes of reaching the first floor. Team two did indeed reach the first floor after a slow and difficult search for the door but at the top of the stairs the hose snagged and halted their progress. At this point a brief search of the area was carried out with each member of the team verbally reporting to the others what they could feel, where the supports were, where partitions were and how far they could reach, until one of the team found a casualty. At this point the team attempted to retrace their steps to fresh air with the casualty.

This was not a successful rescue though, after making it back to the ground floor with the fire hose and the casualty and still feeling their way blindly, team two had to abandon the fire hose because it had become tangled with some unknown obstacle, unable to free it with force and unable to backtrack with the casualty, they opted to leave the charged hose and feel their way to freedom. Team three were ready to continue the search after a quick report they were off. The third team quickly found the stairs and continued to search the upper level of the building. This team also found a casualty and started to make their extraction but were stopped in their tracks with the unruly fire hose and had to abandon it too.

After the exercise and some much needed water all of the teams were debriefed and the mistakes were discussed where the good points of the exercise were highlighted. Everyone reported the same feelings of confusion and anxiety, the difficulty mentally mapping the environment and the physical exertion of the whole exercise. The firefighters carefully explained how their search and rescue technique differs from that taught at Phoenix and how important communication to the team members is to the performance of a real rescue from a similar situation.

After the smoke had dissipated from the building we were led through the space and everyone was amazed at how small and simple it was. The small room with basic partitions and a few items of furniture had seemed like a huge complex obstacle course just minutes before. Unfortunately the fridge in the

room upstairs still held the child sized dummy that all three search teams failed to find. This experience was a real challenge, being deprived of sight, reliant on touch and trusting your team mates to communicate effectively, just shows how well trained units like Falmouth Community Fire Station are and how skilled firefighters are. I can only imagine how stressful it would be to have to repeat this experience if

there were real flames, real smoke and real casualties.

On behalf of all of the engineering apprentices on RFA Argus we would like to express our thanks to Falmouth Community Fire Station for an excellent day of training and for their hospitality.

Brent Phillips Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus

P/O (CBRNDCQ) Ralf (Brent) Phillips presenting Ian Laurie (Crew Manager at Falmouth CFRS) with a token of appreciation from RFA Argus

This experience was a real challenge, being deprived of sight, reliant on touch and trusting your team mates to communicate effectively...


Devonport nuclear emergency planning for children and young people

The safety of residents and workers in the detailed emergency planning zone around the Devonport nuclear

submarine facility is of paramount importance. Legislation requires that these people are all informed in advance about the activities in the site, how they would hear about an emergency and what actions they should take.Protecting children and young people is of paramount importance. Work has been done by Resilience and Emergency Management with the schools and Children’s Centre in Torpoint to examine and update their planning and procedures. These discussions highlighted gaps and uncertainties about how schools would find out about the emergency and when they should administer Potassium Iodate tablets to staff and children (which provide essential protection for people, especially young people against the adverse effects of radiation).

So many people live, work, travel or attend schools and colleges on either side of the Tamar that it is vital to ensure that the same messages and procedures are adopted to provide clarity and reduce confusion.

A great deal of work has been done recently with regard to the emergency planning for the Devonport site. A new version of the public information leaflet was published and sent to every address point in the detailed emergency planning zone. These documents can be found on our website at:

www.cornwall.gov.uk/devonportdock

All residents in the area have been invited to sign up for the free emergency notification system, which will

send telephone, text or email messages in the event of a nuclear emergency. This system is also available to anyone having an interest in the area, perhaps with relatives living or working there. Anywhere there is a concentration of people, especially children, requires additional planning to keep them safe.

On 14 June 2017 Martin Rawling, Senior Resilience and Emergency Management Officer, with a colleague from Plymouth City Council, ran a workshop regarding planning, preparation and reassurance for the safety of children in schools in the highly unlikely event of a nuclear emergency at Devonport.

The Torpoint schools, community college and Children’s centre as well as our Cornwall Council School’s team, Public Health, Police, Public Health England, as well as Resilience and Emergency Management were all represented at the workshop, as well as similar representation from the Plymouth side.

The excellent conversations and interaction at the workshop allowed clarification of the required information cascade procedures, if, when and how schools lockdown or closure procedures would be implemented and the associated care of children in particular, and getting them home safely as required. The required notification and approval to administer the Potassium Iodate tablets was agreed with the key Public health Consultants.

At every stage the key message is that whatever is said and done in an emergency is reflected on both sides of the Tamar.

If anyone has any questions regarding the emergency planning arrangements in Cornwall please contact [email protected]

Martin RawlingSenior Resilience Officer, Resilience and Emergency Management

Partnership Working



On Sunday 12 March, Orange Watch from Penzance Community Fire Station hosted an exercise on

St Michael’s Mount for flank stations who would make up the first attending appliances to an incident on the mount. The mount holds a whole host of logistical issues in a fire situation, due to access being dependant on tide and sea conditions and obtaining sufficient water supplies for firefighting operations. So with these considerations we took a different approach to the set up and running order compared to pass exercises, by setting out separate work stations in key areas of operations, such as command and control, water supplies and emergency procedures. Orange Watch with the help of the mount staff set up four work stations, which would be required to be set up promptly to launch an effective attack on a confirmed fire in the castle. The on-call at Penzance, St Just and Hayle along with Station Manager Salter worked their way around the mount visiting the following work stations;

• Change House outlining Command Support structures

• Pump at the end of the pier and dry riser inlet

• Boot Hall within the Castle

• Pump set up at the end of Elizabeth Terrace

The day was very successful with all crews highlighting the benefits of using work stations creating a positive learning experience. It was noted that seeing all aspects of the mount plan was a real help as they could be asked to set up and run any of these key areas in the early stages of a confirmed fire.

Thanks go to the attending crews, officers, mount staff and members of Orange Watch for running the work stations, showing in-depth knowledge on the mount plan.

Crew Manager Tom NicholasPenzance Community Fire Station


Community Engagement

Bude firefighters become worldwide global heroes

A post to Bude Community Fire Station’s Facebook page went viral when a thank you message by a

relieved mum (Kirsty), was shared to the station page, along with a photograph of firefighters from Bude, attempting to free her cheeky son who was accidentally locked in her car. Kirsty’s comment thanking the firefighters and photo were quickly picked up by friends on Facebook, where local press and subsequently worldwide news channels started sharing the story. Kirsty’s original post on the station’s Facebook page: “Thank you to the amazing guys who rescued my cheeky monkey after locking himself in the car today at Bude Lidl!! He was clearly traumatised by the whole ordeal. “ reached far and wide, as well wishers wanted to leave their comments about the photo that left people with a smile on their face.

Thank you to the amazing guys who rescued my cheeky monkey after locking himself in the car today at Bude Lidl!! He was clearly traumatised by the whole ordeal.

From the success and interest the story generated, statistics were gathered on this type of incident and revealed in Cornwall there had been 27 calls to assist parents / carers with children locked in vehicles between 01 April 2016 to 05 May 2017. A statement from the AA breakdown service revealed that on average, they rescue seven children locked in cars every day in the UK.

The success of this story reached hundreds of thousands of people and has helped highlight the dangers to others and raise awareness on what action to take should they ever find themselves in a similar situation to Kirsty’s.

A reunion was set up with the family, which was broadcast live on BBC Spotlight at Bude Community Fire Station and a new web page was created for future use and reference.

For more information about this story and future news from Bude Community Fire Station, follow them on

www.facebook.com/BudeFireStation

www.twitter.com/BudeCFRS



In less urgent circumstances, consider calling a locksmith or your breakdown service if you have one.

Advice to remember:

• Keep calm and don’t panic

• Think clearly and act quickly

• Call 999 immediately for the emergency services if you have any concerns about a person’s health

Top tips to prevent the risk of this happening to you:

• Keep your keys with you at all times.

• Never give a child the keys to play with in the car.

• Don’t close all the doors unless you’re sure you have the keys.

• Leave a window open so that if central locking is activated you can still get in.

• Keep spare keys at home.

If you are concerned about the welfare of another person’s life, never hesitate to call 999. One of our Critical Control Centre operators will talk you through the situation and offer advice and help over the phone or if necessary they will send out an emergency service to assist you.

Children, pets and the elderly are particularly vulnerable as they are less able to cope with high temperatures and may not recognise the symptoms of heat-related illness such as dehydration. It’s not just warm days that can present a risk: vehicle glass behaves like a greenhouse which means in sunshine, temperatures can rise quickly inside a closed vehicle. A child left in a parked car under those conditions for even a few minutes can very quickly become distressed, dehydrated and can die from organ failure. If you see anything, you need to act quickly. If you wait, it can be too late.

VIP Visit to Truro Community Fire Station for students from The Roseland School

Since accepting a concurrent contract with Cornwall Fire, Rescue and Community Safety (CFRCS) Service, I previously worked

at The Roseland Academy as their Primary Sports Development Officer. One area of my job was to work with small groups of students helping them to improve their gross motor skills including their agility, balance and co-ordination fundamentals. During the three and a half years I delivered these lessons, it really made a significant impact on the students’ self-esteem, confidence and social skills with their class mates when it came to their class physical education (PE) lessons, as well as their attitude to school life in general.

I have been a member of Orange Watch Truro for the past three months and the transition from PE teacher to firefighter has been an extremely exciting and positive career change for me. I have continued to upskill myself operationally and have learnt the additional duties a firefighter undertakes during their four day shifts. I have become the watch’s community lead and will also jointly lead our initiative for this year. These two roles go hand in hand for me, my role as a teacher and firefighter, plus my experience working within in the local community has enabled me to merge the two together.

Before leaving The Roseland I promised some of the students the chance to visit the station for a VIP morning. On 9 June, Truro Community Fire Station welcomed two students, staff and parents from Probus Community Primary School for their VIP visit. Our special guests were treated to a tour of the station, demonstrating the capabilities of the appliances, discussing the equipment we carry and how it works

operationally. The icing on the cake was when the station sounders went off, the students were asked to attend a simulated house fire. Both Kobi and Isaac were on hand to assist the crews to deal with the stations very own portable smoke filled house that was located in the drill yard.

The Roseland School said: “Kobi and Isaac returned back to school with beaming smiles and a career choice sorted, as well as lots of sensible fire safety advice for their friends.”

We look forward to welcoming more guests to the station from both primary and secondary schools within the city of Truro during the next few months.

Firefighter Andrew AyreOrange Watch Truro

Never hesitate to call 999


Body Warn Video Devices used on Patrols in St Ives

Police Constable (PC) Darren Saint of Devon and Cornwall Police has been working closely with Dorian Thomas

of our Anti-Social Behaviour team in an effort to combat local anti-social behaviour issues. Following reports of numerous issues PC Saint and Dorian Thomas joined forces to further their joint agency approach to tackling local issues.

On the evening of Friday 26 May PC Saint and Dorian Thomas targeted St Ives Skate Park, Trewyn Gardens and conducted licensing visits at numerous pubs in the area.

PC Saint stated: “We dealt with three males this evening for drug related offences. We know what goes

on, and where, and will do everything in our powers to continue targeting particular areas to ensure the minority don’t ruin it for others.”

Dorian Thomas stated: “Being equipped with a body warn video devices was found to be a great deterrent and proved really positive throughout the evening. The devices are placed on standby throughout the patrols. Images were only captured at specific points in the evening at specific incidents.”

The devices are only used if there is a need to capture a specific act of behaviour, where there is a potential risk of escalation of poor behaviour. These images would further assist us in the progression of any enforcement needed to tackle and deal with such acts of anti-social behaviour or any linked criminal behaviour.

Dorian ThomasAnti-Social Behaviour Caseworker

Blue Light DayOn Wednesday 5 July the Service was involved with the tenth annual Blue Light Day held at the Royal Cornwall Showground. The day’s aim was to break down barriers between adults with learning disabilities and/or autism and the emergency services, helping them to be more confident and independent in the community.

Blue Light Day is organised by Devon and Cornwall Police in partnership with Cornwall People First, a user-led advocacy group for people with a learning disability and/or autism, and Cornwall Council. Other organisations who

were involved with the event included; South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, Devon and Cornwall Police, Cornwall Search and Rescue, Devon and Cornwall Police Pipes and Drums, Coastguard including their helicopter, Shelter Box, Dogtastic Obedience, The Purple Angel Ponies and many more. There were also over 50 stands from various organisations, 60 emergency vehicles were in attendance including the Coastguard helicopter, and a live road traffic collision drill was carried out by our service. The day was a great success!


Hoarding success story

The Fire Prevention and Road Safety team received a referral from the South Western Ambulance Service

NHS Foundation Trust at the beginning of the year regarding a Cornwall Housing bungalow in North Cornwall. After a number of attempts were made to visit the property, access was gained in May. Following the initial visit, the multi-agency referral unit was contacted, and contact was made with the case co-ordinator who was working with the individual at the property.

The case co-ordinator then contacted the resident to request an appointment for a joint visit with Cornwall Fire, Rescue and Community Safety Service, during this visit the resident wasn’t home, however contact was then made with a member of staff from Cornwall Housing, who stated their intention to install double glazing to the property the following week. A joint visit was therefore tied in with the fitting of double glazing to ensure the resident was present.

Cornwall Housing were unable to install the new windows due to the level of hoarding in the property preventing them from getting access to the windows, a full home fire safety check was then conducted, and concerns regarding the residents ability to be able to escape the property in the event of a fire, due to rear exits being completely blocked were highlighted.

Throughout this process the staff involved had built a sufficient relationship with the resident that they gained consent for the property to be cleared of hoarded materials and then deep cleaned.

On a return visit, 40 black bags of rubbish were removed from the property, completely clearing the hallway and kitchen to ensure that the rear exit was clear and would allow escape in the event of a fire.

The case co-ordinator then gained a grant for a professional company to come and clear the remaining rooms and deep clean the whole property, leaving it in a good, clean condition.

The resident can now be described as a different person who feels like her life has been transformed, enjoying inviting friends and family into their home.

If you have concerns about the level of fire loading in a property, please contact the Prevention and Road Safety Team for further advice and guidance.

Further information can also be found on our website at: www.cornwall.gov.uk/hoarding

Before

After


Kill the conversation, keep your eyes on the roadDriving while using a mobile phone significantly increases the risk of being involved in a collision, you’re four times more likely to crash if you use a mobile phone while driving. In March we launched our mobile phone campaign to make the public aware of the changes in law of using a handheld mobile phone while driving. From the 1 March 2017 the fixed penalty notice for using a handheld mobile phone while driving increased to £200 and six points. For newly


Speed is one of the biggest contributory factors in fatal road collisions. The law states you must not exceed the speed limit for the type of road and your type of vehicle. The speed limit is the absolute maximum and it doesn’t mean it’s safe to drive at this speed in all conditions. A driver’s reaction time affects their stopping distance, and stopping distance is both the thinking distance and braking distance added together. To communicate how speed impacts on stopping distances we launched a speed and stopping distance campaign in April to raise awareness of the importance of reading the road ahead,

Look, Share, Be Bike Aware Campaign

qualified drivers, if they are less than two years from passing their test this would mean losing their licence. Research suggests sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. In 4.6 seconds a car travelling at 30mph would have travelled 61.5 metres (202.4 feet) that’s about the wingspan of a 747 Jumbo Jet. As part of the campaign we asked drivers if they would be happy to drive this distance at 30mph with their eyes

shut. Flyers were distributed to drivers reminding them to kill the conversation and keep their eyes on the road. Drivers were asked to make a positive change and adopt safer driving behaviour.

anticipating hazards and giving yourself time to react.

Members of the public were asked to make a road safety pledge to reinforce their commitment and air fresheners were distributed displaying the campaign messages as a reminder of the campaign message.

Speed and stopping distances campaign

A Cornwall specific cycling campaign ‘Look, Share, Be Bike Aware’ was developed in response to the number of cyclists killed and seriously injured in Cornwall. The campaign aims to promote awareness to drivers and cyclists regarding cyclist’s safety, encouraging drivers to look out for cyclists on the road and give them plenty of space when overtaking and encouraging cyclists to ride defensively and be more visible on the road. A suite of ‘Look, Share, Be Bike Aware’ resources have been developed to support the campaign messages targeting drivers and cyclists, which has been supported by watches and promoted throughout Cornwall and endorsed through a social media campaign.

Work ExperienceService Delivery hosted a week of work experience for four Year 10 students. Students experienced the varied work carried out by the Service and learnt about the role of a modern firefighter. The students spent time at a number of stations including Truro, St Austell, Tolvaddon and Bodmin. The students also visited our Critical Control Centre, Engineering and Workshops.


‘Are you dying to get wrecked?’Green Watch at Truro Community Fire Station developed an initiative to engage with young drivers and passengers aged 17-24 years in a bid to help raise their road safety awareness and reduce the numbers of young drivers being killed or seriously injured on Cornwall’s roads. Young car drivers and passengers are a particularly vulnerable road user group, they are significantly over represented in road traffic casualties and are the most likely age group to experience a collision.

A vehicle which appeared to have been involved in a collision was on display at Truro College to raise awareness of the dangers of distraction and inattention and the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs.

The overall aim was to encourage students to make a positive change to their driving behaviour in a bid to reduce the chance of them being involved in, or causing a collision. Students were encouraged to make a safer driving pledge during the crews’ visits.

Cycle Safety Advocate Initiative A watch at Tolvaddon Community Fire Station have developed an initiative based on the ‘Look, Share, Be Bike Aware’ cycling campaign and on 1 June launched their initiative ‘Cycle safety Advocate’. Through this initiative we intend to engage with local businesses encouraging them to become a cycle safety advocate to raise employee awareness and encourage safer driving practices publicising and promoting the ‘Look, Share, Be Bike Aware’ cycling campaign. Safety packs containing cycle safety literature to promote awareness to drivers and cyclists will be distributed to businesses and include:

• A suite of ‘Look, Share, Be Bike Aware’ posters

• Department for Transport ‘Advice for drivers and cyclists to share the roads safely’ leaflet

• Wing mirror yellow warning triangle stickers displaying a bicycle icon, reminding drivers to look out for cyclists when driving

• Bumper stickers displaying ‘If you can’t see my mirrors I can’t see you’ message reminding cyclists of

their vulnerability in driver blind spots’

• Air fresheners displaying the ‘Look, Share, Be Bike Aware campaign message

• Know your limits light goods and heavy goods vehicle speed limit stickers

The provision of safety packs will allow businesses to display and distribute campaign material within the workplace promoting cycle safety awareness. Businesses will be asked to make a road safety pledge, to promote driver awareness of their responsibilities towards cyclists.

If your station would like to hold any initiatives similar to the above, we have resources available to borrow. Contact Stacie Bennett for a details.

Stacie Bennett and Tamsin FerrisFire and Road Safety Technician, Prevention and Road Safety


Income Generation

During the last year Phoenix Services has continued the partnership with the Survivors supported into

empowerment, education and employment (SUSIE) project. Courses have been delivered in community fire stations across the county, from Saltash to Penzance, Newquay to Falmouth. The objectives of this short course include improving self-confidence, raising self-esteem, and improving teamwork and communication skills, whilst learning to trust others following their work with the SUSIE toolkit. Over the course of the last year, Phoenix Services has delivered 14 courses, and worked with 96 SUSIE participants, 25% of whom have already returned to the workplace, training or volunteering. Feedback from participants has been outstanding. 100% of the participants on the programme have achieved the Heartstart qualification, which is both nationally recognised and transferable.

This partnership is continuing this year and we cannot wait to see what our next cohort of SUSIE participants achieve.

Katie RollasonPhoenix Services Business & Marketing Officer


Here is some feedback from the last course we ran from Falmouth.

I can hardly believe it’s been over a month since we were at the fire station with you, doing the Phoenix Project!

So, this is a belated but nevertheless huge “thank you” for all your time and effort that week in helping us learn about the work the fire service staff do and also teaching us the first aid skills which I loved doing.

The first aid was completely new to me, and I am so pleased that, as well as the CPR information, I had the opportunity to learn how to use a defibrillator should the need ever arise. The books you gave me are also really helpful resources and I dip into them to remind myself of the procedure. I do feel quite confident now that I’d be useful in an emergency situation.


After we all left on the last day, after taking part in the fire drill etc, I had the biggest grin on my face! From the station, I drove down to the promenade overlooking the sea, and couldn’t stop smiling for some time! It was really great fun and a big boost to my confidence to carry out all those practical activities, and to find I could still learn something new and feel as though I could contribute to a group.

It was so helpful working together as a team in making us all feel that, although we had different skills to each other, we could still make a contribution.

I’m just writing to give you some feedback on the Phoenix course I completed with you and Ian last week.

Firstly I have to say how much I enjoyed it. It was good to be amongst people who are so dedicated in working to help others.

All of the elements of the course were a definite challenge for me from plucking up the courage to walk into the station to having to pull on the “grey matter” again!

Things I should have remembered from my previous career.....

I found the tasks both physically and mentally challenging, working in teams helped achievement throughout and especially in the areas I was most definitely weak at i.e. the tyres (something I would not have solved as an individual ha ha!).

I felt it worked very well for building communication skills and being able to communicate effectively through using different methods of communication.

It was also good to see how the Fire Service operates and co-ordinates so closely with all the other emergency services and how physically challenging it is in comparison with the other services.

The equipment held on the fire engines was fascinating!

One thing that really stood out for me from our first day with you was the genuine and passionate commitment you both showed to each one of us, in encouraging us with what we can do, and in reminding us that we are all very capable women.

You were so caring throughout the whole project and I came away feeling valued and as though I had learned a lot after all your encouragement.

As well as the practical first aid skills, it was very interesting to learn about what you guys do in your operational work, and made me think if I was younger I’d be interested in applying to do the job! I also was struck by the lovely team spirit among you and your colleagues - it felt as though you were all part of a family which must be a great way to work.

Ian Laurie, Helen, Maria Symons, Jody Butterly

It was so helpful working together as a team in making us all feel that, although we had different skills to each other, we could still make a contribution.

I feel this course is a huge benefit to people who have had their personalities and confidence stamped on because it proves to them that they are capable of regaining them and moving forward with their lives.


Prince’s TrustMay 2017 saw our last cohort of Prince’s Trust finishers celebrate their achievements in Truro. The 6 finishers worked amazingly as a team and managed to achieve a vast amount through exceptional teamwork and fundraising.

The presentation was attended by Assistant Chief Fire Officer Phil Martin and Assistant Chief Officer Vicky Wallens–Hancock, as well as family, friends and support workers.

Our next team has just begun in St Austell and we have a record number of young people joining this team. In the coming weeks we are looking forward to sharing their achievements with you as they progress and would like to thank the stations in Truro and St Austell for supporting the teams when they operate on stations.

Income Generation

Safety and Education During the first quarter we have signed contracts with Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to deliver a bespoke fire warden programme to a minimum of 240 staff, the contract is worth £15,000.00 to the Service over the three year period. Phoenix Services will start delivering this training from the 1 September 2017.

We have also signed a contract with Falmouth Training Solutions to facilitate 11 STCW2010 basic marine firefighting courses over the next 11 months with a contract value in excess of £30,000.00.

Driver Training We are going to be offering our pre-driver training programme in August and have booked in dates until the end of March 2018. We have also developed an advanced driver training programme, which will focus on higher level driving skills and road safety for young people.

Our pre-driver training day is delivered at RAF Portreath. It educates those between the ages of 15 and 17 on the importance of being a safe road user, offering a practical experience of driving and car maintenance, as well as an interactive road safety session.

Katie RollasonPhoenix Services Business & Marketing Officer

Phoenix Services

Launceston Community Fire Station attend Steam Rally Demonstration Crew from Launceston Community Fire Station led by Crew Manger Paul Oulton attended the Launceston Steam and Vintage Rally in May 2017, where in front of the large crowd; they demonstrated the fundamentals of a Road Traffic Collison (RTC) and the associated casualty care. Two demos went ahead, each narrated over the public address (PA) system by the articulate firefighter Ryan Christophers. The car was cut open, casualty released and all parts shown as to how and why we operate at RTCs including medical care, which due to the A30 running straight past our door, is the main element of work at Launceston.

Watch Manager Andy SleemanNorth Command Group Trainer


Our Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence and Serious & Organsied Crime team

Team Developments

Community safety is a broad term which encompasses all types of crime, anti-social behaviour and problem use of drugs, alcohol and other substances. It refers to the protection of local communities from the threat and consequences of criminal and anti-social behaviour by reducing both incidence of crime and the fear of crime. It includes involving the community in identifying the nature of the threat and the crime, the problems and the solutions.Cornwall’s Community Safety team comprises of four sub-teams which work closely together on a daily basis:

1. Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence and Serious & Organised Crime team

2. Amethyst Community Safety Intelligence team

3. Drug and Alcohol Action team

4. Anti-Social Behaviour team

Michelle Davies Strategy Lead for Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence and Serious & Organised Crime for Cornwall & Isles of Scilly

Since joining the Community Safety team in 2010, Michelle has led on service and partnership development to improve multi-agency responses to domestic abuse, sexual violence and latterly serious and organised crime such as modern slavery and child sexual exploitation.

Prior to that Michelle moved from frontline to

managerial roles in 2007 and set about leading on system transformation programmes. She describes having had some fantastic opportunities to work alongside agencies in other areas such as the Police, CPS, health and voluntary sector to improve multi-agency responses to domestic abuse and sexual violence. Michelle says “… its people, not legislation or policy but people and relationships that have driven change, made difference and pulled this agenda out of darkness so that people are talking about it, raising awareness; such a shift - even over the last five years”.

In 2016 over 7,000 people accessed domestic abuse services in Cornwall - that’s 3,500 more than in 2015. More than numbers, that’s 7,000 individuals and their families who now have the chance of a more positive and fear-free future.

Steve RowellPreventing Extremism & Terrorism Lead Cornwall & Serious Organised Crime Operational Lead

Steve is a former Devon and Cornwall Police Officer of 30 years’ service. He brings a wealth of experience from his police service as well as that gained working in partnership settings for 20 years as a strategic and operational lead in various thematic areas.

Since 2010/2011 Steve has been the Preventing Extremism and Terrorism Lead for Cornwall supporting


Team Developments

and co-ordinating a response to those at risk of radicalisation or who are leaning towards terrorism. Steve is responsible for ensuring Cornwall’s counter terrorism local plan is fully implemented.

He is the operational lead for serious organised crime, which includes modern slavery, human trafficking and organised illegal immigration, high value fraud and other financial crimes, counterfeiting, organised acquisitive crime and cybercrime. The strategy also deals with serious crime which demands a national coordinated response.

Steve is also a Safeguarding Advocate for CFRCS Service. He has extensive experience and knowledge of adult and child protection having previously worked in this arena. He regularly delivers training relating to safeguarding, hoarding and other thematic areas having a crossover into safeguarding.

Sarah Necke Community Safety Officer

Sarah has worked for Cornwall Council and previously the district council for almost 20 years – 15 of which have been within community safety.

Sarah’s role has covered a wide spectrum of areas often working in partnership. This includes managing the former West Cornwall CCTV system covering six towns; forming new ways of working such as original funding bids for Police Community Support Officers and Independent Domestic Violence Advocates; running a range of community safety projects to problem-solve specific issues such as street drinking; reducing hate crime in the community; reducing drug litter in public areas through training of street cleansing staff and monitoring of hot spot areas to direct outreach worker contact.

Sarah currently covers Cornwall for community issues where complex needs are present such as rough sleeping, drugs and alcohol; coordinates a multi-agency response to crime and disorder for Safer Towns; is the Safer Cornwall lead for missing people and child sexual exploitation. She is the Council lead in initiating a crime and disorder framework providing advice, guidance, training and implementing agreed actions to improve Cornwall Council’s response to its legal duty to reduce crime in our communities.

Laura Ball Domestic Abuse Coordinator

Laura has worked for Cornwall Council for six years, four of which have been within the Community Safety

team. Prior to her current role she worked within the Amethyst Intelligence team and the Drug and Alcohol Action Team carrying out research and performance analysis for contract reviews to support drug and alcohol service commissioning.

Laura works alongside Michelle to support commissioning and service improvement of domestic abuse services. She is responsible for the contract management of commissioned domestic abuse services of which there are currently nine across Cornwall.

Laura’s role includes driving forward the implementation of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (DASV) Strategy and to coordinate the implementation of recommendations from domestic homicide reviews in Cornwall.

Chrissie BarrettMulti Agency Risk Assessment Conference Lead

Chrissie has worked for Cornwall Council for over 20 years. In 2015/2016 she was seconded to the council’s commissioned domestic abuse support service as Quality Assurance and Policy Development Manager.

Chrissie’s role is to provide support and advice to the Safer Cornwall Partnership agencies about all aspects of Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC). She delivers MARAC training when required. Working in partnership with agency leads, Chrissie is supporting and coordinating the delivery and implementation of a two year MARAC improvement plan for Cornwall.

MARAC meetings form part of a coordinated community response to domestic abuse. A range of agencies from the statutory and voluntary sectors are represented at MARAC – cases are referred when a victim is deemed to be at high risk of serious harm or death. While the focus of MARAC is to safeguard victims, legislation which prioritises the safety of children is also taken into consideration. Links are made with other multi-agency processes to safeguard children and manage perpetrator behaviour.

Chrissie is also a CFRCS Service Safeguarding Advocate and a member of the Service’s Mental Health Steering Group.

For more information about community safety in Cornwall: www.safercornwall.co.uk

Michelle DaviesDomestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Strategy Manager


Our People

Training and Development Review

The Training and Development Review was established in 2016, and has been initiated to review ways of

working across Cornwall Fire, Rescue and Community Safety Service’s training and development department to ensure it is as efficient and effective as it can be. The programme will:

• Ensure a high performing training and development function that fully meets the needs of the service, providing a quality training offer.

• Listen to the needs of the Service Delivery team and ensure that the training and development programme for the service is developed in line with these.

• Protect the critical training budget by delivering on a number of projects that will seek opportunities for innovation and deliver improved value for money.

As we enter into the second year of the programme, we wanted to provide an update on the work we have done and to provide some ideas of some of the potential changes that you might see in the future emerging from this programme.

What? First Aid training

Why?We recognised a need to improve our First Training and ensure that we were providing the right training for our staff.

Working with our Phoenix Services team, we have been able to develop a new training course that will provide all staff with First Aid training relevant to their role.

When? This training will be being rolled out from September, with training located in local areas and then built into the training planner moving forward to make it easier for you to maintain compliance in this area.

What? Driver training

Why?We have been exploring how we can be more efficient with our driver training.

When?We are currently trialling some different ways of delivering training and will be evaluating these to ensure they continue to provide the high standards of training required by the service.

What? Competency Framework

Why?It is important to ensure people understand their role, have clear objectives, understand what they are expected to do to achieve them and have the skills to succeed, or are nominated on a course to acquire the skills.

This includes Operational Mandatory Compliance, where it is now your responsibility to ensure you maintain your personal compliance against these mandatory skills. You will need to ensure you book yourself onto the courses to keep your compliance up to date.

© Caterina Lombardi 2017


Wholetime recruitment Following the decision taken to recruit wholetime grey book and apprentice personnel the Work Force Development team have been busy facilitating the selection processes following the initial application stage. This involved multi-stage (bleep) fitness tests for 155 applicants followed by job related physical tests. 80 applicants have successfully negotiated their way through the assessments to date and now face the final interview stage which will also include, for the first time, an additional selection day incorporating team focused tasks. It is considered that this approach will give the organisation a broader view of the individuals who are ultimately successful and will hopefully be embarking on long and fulfilling fire service careers.

The successful applicants (8 grey book and 6 apprentices) will embark on an initial 8 week training course on 30 October which will see them experiencing training facilities at Tolvaddon, Portreath, River Dart and Fire Service College in addition to other off

Moving forward we are looking at making some further changes and will keep you informed and updated on these, as this work progresses.

Key

Essential - all staff

Essential - not all staff, specific number as policy / operational requirement

Station specific requirement

Development course

station locations in the County. Initial training will be completed by Christmas at which time recruits will take their place on allocated stations and watches. They will subsequently participate in modularised training activities that will equip them with the wider range of skills demanded of the modern fire-fighter.

Personnel changesThe Work Force Development team will shortly welcome Watch Manager (WM) Katie Hoskins in as a replacement for Watch Manager (WM) Lee Thomas who departs to Tolvaddon Community Fire Station. Katie brings in a fresh set of skills developed in various operational roles and more recently in the Prevention team which will prove extremely useful in preparing our new recruits for their wider, community role. Lee departs with a wealth of instructional experience, particularly in the technical rescue arena which will be of huge value to Tolvaddon station. We wish Lee well in his new role and would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his enthusiasm and commitment during his time with the team.

When?For more information on the Competency Framework and maintaining operational compliance, please see:

http://cornwallcouncilintranet.cc.cornwallonline.net/people/our-values-and-policies/competency-framework

Our People


Incident Command Software – XVRThe Service remains committed to equipping operational commanders with the appropriate skills to successfully deal with rapidly evolving incidents. There have been significant developments in the simulation software available ensuring that training and assessments are fully immersive and challenging. CFRCS Service has looked at the market and invested in XVR

St Ives Training Scenario with West Country Ambulance

simulation software and is collaboratively working with other fire and rescue services in the south west region in order to fully explore and develop the potential of the system. We have recently started utilising the XVR for WM7/Level 1 Incident Command Training and Assessment and aim to be in a position to deliver Level 2 and 3 early next year.

Group Manager Kathryn Billing, Station Manager Nick Harvey and Nicola Willcocks, Project and Governance Officer

On Monday 26 June St. Ives Community Fire Station completed a joint exercise with the Ambulance

service. This involved one motor vehicle and four different scenarios.The primary goal was to ensure that both emergency services were able to see how each other works and can be sympathetic to each other’s needs in the event of working closely together. Our thanks go to Sarah Trounson of the Ambulance service and her crew, for their assistance in both an enjoyable but more importantly informative evening.

The different scenarios included having a live casualty trapped within the vehicle and allowing the crews to work simultaneously to achieve the goal of extraction. Crews got to work on both stabilisation and glass management, whilst the casualty was being assed.

Our goal of the “B” plan was achieved by the opening of the driver’s door and pealing back making an early escape route in the event the ambulance crews insisted the casualty was to be removed quickly. Whilst the ambulance crew were dealing with the casualty, crews carried out the “A” plan of roof removal then assisted the ambulance crews on full removal of the casualty who was placed on the spine board. A spine collar was fitted prior to removal.

The learning out comes were discussed after with a short debrief and was noted that the ambulance crews are without the type of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) we are lucky enough to have as firefighters.

This I’m sure has given us all a new appreciation of how to deal with incidents of this nature and also to ensure we take care of other emergency services at the scene.

Our thanks go to West Country Ambulance and their team for an excellent learning opportunity.

Watch Manager Paul Trevorrow St. Ives Community Fire Station


Introduction

Personnel from Penzance, Bodmin, Bude Community Fire Stations and Workshops, were selected to visit the

Rosenbauer Assembly Factories, along with visits to two volunteer fire stations in Austria on Monday 19 June. The purpose of the visit was to experience first-hand the engineering design and innovation used to produce the new light rescue pump appliances, which have been procured by the Service in order to provide an innovative vehicle that will be flexible and address access problems in small villages, towns and the rural nature of Cornwall. It provided personnel with the opportunity to engage with the Austrian firefighters and exchange ideas on firefighting methods and techniques with this type of appliance.

The JourneyThe team flew from Bristol to Vienna and were driven to a hotel in a small village in the hills near Neidling for an overnight stay, before visiting the Rosenbauer plant the next morning.

We were greeted by a Rosenbauer team consisting of Nick Uwins UK Sales and Engineering Director, Wolfgang Voraberger European Sales and Peter Spanyar Regional Sales, all were our hosts and guides for the next two days.

At the Neidling plant, Rosenbauer produce the compact-line vehicles, superstructure components and the COMFORT fixture system. The compact line consists of vehicles with gross weight up to 13t. The COMFORT system includes integrated equipment holders, pull-outs, drawers and fixtures, as well as manual/electrical support and lowering devices for portable pumps, climbing ladders and other heavy equipment. Annual production amounts to about 200 vehicles with lightweight superstructures.

It is at this factory where we had first glance of the chassis to which our light rescue pumps will be constructed on. The team were extremely impressed with the build, design, craftsmanship and finishing

quality of the vehicles.

It was apparent that a great deal of innovation and development had been put into to the design so that all available space had been utilised, not only for stowage but crew comfort also and it was this element that set them aside.

After this visit we set off to see the two volunteer stations, not before stopping at a Schnitzel house for some traditional Austrian fayre. Our Rosenbauer hosts recommended we try the pork schnitzel which we duly did and we were very soon presented with a schnitzel the size of dustbin lid with chips and salad; safe to say it defeated the majority of us!

We then headed to Endholz which is a rural station that had a conventional water ladder and a compact appliance similar to ones that we have in build. This station had 35 volunteer firefighters and a fire cadet section with the emphasis on them progressing to the volunteer service, to keep continuity and a sense

Light Rescue Pump Appliance Research Trip

We then headed to Endholz which is a rural station that had a conventional water ladder and a compact appliance similar to ones that we have in build.

Our People


of belonging and duty to the community.

The town of St Valentine was our next destination, this was a large 10 bay station that

was opened in 2014 and was built by the volunteer firefighters themselves. There were twelve appliances of various types such as an Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP), heavy rescue tender, Decon unit, water rescue ladder and a 4x4 etc.

We were shown around by Station Chief Peter Spanyar, who is also the regional sales manager at Rosenbauer for his full time job. He was very knowledgeable and it was interesting to engage with him and compare our differing procedures and working practices.

We then travelled to Linz which is situated on the banks of the River Danube and is the third biggest city in Austria with a population of about 200,000. We stayed the night there before visiting Rosenbauer plant 1 and 2 in the town Leonding close by.

Plant 2 was our first stop, where there were two newly synchronized production lines for the ‘PANTHER’ Airport Foam Tender vehicles (ARFF) and for the all-terrain (AT) municipal vehicles.

It has highly efficient assembly line with very high standards for craftsmanship and engineering. Each step

by step process is given a timeframe before moving along the production line to the next stage. This new site is set up for an annual production capacity of around 150 ARFF vehicles of the ‘PANTHER’ type and 250 AT municipal vehicles, in single-shift operation. The site is just 3 km from the group headquarters, which supplies plant 2 with pumps and numerous other components.

Our last destination was to be Rosenbauer headquarters and Plant 1. It is also the design and development centre for special vehicles for industrial and professional fire services, extinguishing systems and equipment. Here they make their own pumps ranging from Light Portable Pump’s to the large foam pumps carried on the airport Panthers.

As we looked around the plant there were a number of specially designed vehicles such as a dispersal vehicle, which is a huge riot control vehicle fitted with a water cannon for civil disturbances.

Our tour had then come to an end and after a spot of lunch in the headquarters restaurant, we were driven to the train station to start our journey home. As an ‘end user’ the trip was extremely valuable and was of great benefit to see the processes involved in the manufacturing of the appliances and equipment.

The design and innovation was very impressive and I believe the appliances we are getting have an excellent build quality.

Firefighter Pete JeffordBodmin Green Watch


Photos: © Caterina Lombardi 2017

Positive Action

Working towards the Service equality objective “Improve the number of applications we

receive for careers within our Service from underrepresented people.” We designed and implemented the positive action plan in line with our recruitment. Working collaboratively with the Devon and Cornwall Police, other fire and rescue services and our comms team, we used different methods to get our recruitment message out.

We ran four “have a go” days which was attended by over 250 people. The exact success of the campaign will be fully evaluated post recruitment. To date we can confirm throughout the recruitment process we have retained a level of over 15% women, which is a higher level than percentages achieved by Services recruiting this year. With the interview stages taking place in July and August, we will be in a position to report on the final numbers later in the year.

Our People


Photos: © Katie Shorey

Recruitment and Training our recruits

At the time of writing this article we still had 81 candidates going through our recruitment process, 15

apprentices and 66 external. Firstly I would like to thank those of you who have put your names forward and supported the selection tests; I am very keen to ensure as many people as possible are involved with the recruitment and training of our new recruits. Recognising as well that many of you have been encouraging people who might not have applied before, we have received more applications from women than ever before and still have 15% going through to the interview stage.

With one final part of the process to go… the interview, this I anticipate will be a surprise for many people, including the candidates, as this two stage process involved an outdoor problem solving team assessment day and then of course the as we know it interview. The team assessment day is a new addition and those who pass will certainly have been through something no other recruit has been through before!

On 26 October 2017 the apprenticeship and wholetime recruits will begin their training, this new Cornwall modularised training programme is designed to provide the skills, knowledge and understanding which reflects the expanding diverse role we know today and are anticipating in the future.

As part of their training, all recruits will be rotating around our stations and also other areas of the service so they gain a full understanding of the wider role of Fire, Rescue and Community safety and Resilient Cornwall.

...we have received more applications from women than ever before and still have 15% going through to the interview stage.


Slap Bands Dementia – new look bands

You said and we listened! See our new look slap bands!

In 2011 the Service produced an initiative called “the heat is on”. The aim of this was to reduce the risk to older people

when cooking by providing a magnetic band they could slap on their wrist to act as a reminder they were cooking and had turned appliances on. Over the next few years, the focus on dementia and supporting the independent living of older people gained momentum.

In August 2015, this initiative received interest from two other fire and rescue services, Derbyshire and Hampshire. Derbyshire had been approached by their dementia group who suggested this might help make people with dementia safer in their homes.

Feedback from Derbyshire and Hampshire are very positive with Derbyshire producing more because of the demand. They are producing a full evaluation report on behalf of the initiative, but the feedback locally is very positive from the band users and groups who work with older people.

Feedback from Truro and Penzance, from their dementia outreach groups, was they preferred the red band as it better provides a visual cue to danger. Red is associated with danger, flames, heat and burns, it is something they have grown up with, i.e. flames, fire extinguishers, poisonous red berries, red lights, warning symbols are all red; so would advocate a change back to red in the future.

The Falmouth Outreach Group loved the idea. Suggesting the writing could be a little bigger and one suggested that an egg timer to go with the bands would be a good idea as a double reminder. The Alzheimer’s charity approached us at an event, specifically to talk about the slap bands and were asking for more, saying they are a fantastic idea, and all those who requested one have been impressed.

They also mentioned the text, saying it is a little unclear as it could refer to heating anywhere in the house, rather than specifically something in the kitchen, a second comment referred to the colour purple, saying it doesn’t denote ‘emergency’ or ‘danger’, a bright red colour would be more noticeable and urgent.

Dawn Bevington who is 74 years old has been using the slap bands for the last 2-3 years. She said: “I always use my slap band when cooking and have done so for nearly 3 years now, I have never had an accident and I am sure this is due to me using the band to remember that I have something cooking. It is a natural part of me now, like using a seat belt, I automatically put it on when I am cooking. I would recommend using a slap band even if you haven’t got dementia.”

Now the band is back and it’s bold and slappy!

Kathryn Billing Group Manager HR and People

Our People


Understanding Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the oldest known human diseases and affects over one in fifty of the population. It’s

full name Diabetes Mellitus, comes from the Greek words for syphon and sugar and describes the most obvious symptom of uncontrolled diabetes; the passing of large amounts of urine which is sweet due to the large amounts of sugar that it contains.

What is diabetes? A healthy persons’ glucose is transported from the intestines or liver to the body cells via the blood stream and is made available for cell absorption via the hormone insulin. Diabetes arises when an individual’s pancreas cannot make insulin, or the insulin that is made is ineffective in controlling their blood sugar levels. There are two type of diabetes.

Type 1: This is when your pancreas completely stops making the hormone insulin.

Type 2: In this instance there is usually a combination of partial failure of insulin production and a reduced body response to the hormone; known as insulin resistance. (Type 2 is sometimes referred to as late onset diabetes, due to it normally occurring later in life).

Who is likely to get diabetes? Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are genetic and therefore can be inherited. Although if a close member of your family has diabetes it is not certain that you will develop it yourself. Type 1 diabetes normally comes about in a person’s early years and is most common between the ages of 11 and 13. It is thought that it can be triggered by infection and viruses. Mumps and Coxsackie are known to have the potential to damage the pancreas and bring on diabetes. Although it is very rare that doctors can link the onset of diabetes to a specific bout of infection. Type 2 diabetes is more likely to be brought on in people that are overweight and eat an unbalanced diet.

How do I know if I have diabetes?The signs and symptoms that indicate you may have diabetes are;

• Increased thirst

• Dehydration

• Passing of large quantities of urine

• Urinary tract infection such as cystitis or thrush

• Rapid weight loss

• Tiredness and lethargy

• Blurred vision, resulting from dehydration of the lens in the eye

The severity of the symptoms and the rate at which they develop may differ depending on which type of diabetes you have. If you are experiencing all or some of the symptoms above then you should seek medical advice.

Treatment/medication?All diabetics should follow a balance diet and control their sugar intake, to prevent spikes in blood sugar levels. In some cases diet in itself may be enough to control type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetics have to control their blood sugar levels with regular injections of insulin into their subcutaneous fat layer. A typical prefilled FlexPen includes a dose wheel and plunger at one end and interchangeable disposable needle at the other.

Type 2 diabetics will normally have to take tablets to control their blood sugar levels. There are five main kinds of tablet that come under the general name oral hypoglycaemic agents OHA’s.

All diabetics need to carry out regular blood testing to ensure that sugar levels are kept between normal glucose parameters of 4-7 mmols.


What is Hypoglycaemia and Hyperglycaemia?Hypoglycaemia (Hypo)This is where the blood sugar goes below what is normal 4mmol/L, (millimoles per litre) and can occur in any diabetic that is taking insulin or OHA sulphonylurea tablets. This will normally occur when the person has not eaten, has injected too much insulin, or has exercised, leading to a lowering of the blood glucose level.

Symptoms are;

• Feeling sweaty cold or clammy

• Trembling and feeling week

• Tingling around the lips

• Feeling hungry

• Blurred vision

• Feeling irritable upset or angry

• Unable to concentrate

• Looking pale

• Feeling drowsy (Losing consciousness if nothing is done).

Individual diabetics warning signs may differ.

TreatmentA sugary drink is recommended but anything that contains sugar or in severe cases when the person cannot tolerate food a glucose gel called Hypostop may be squirted into the mouth and gums. Diabetics may carry this with them.

Hyperglycaemia This is where the blood sugar goes above what is normal 7mmo/L when fasting 11mmols after eating. Opposite to hypoglycaemia this is where the blood

sugar is too high and can be caused by missing a dose of diabetic medication, tablets or insulin, eating more carbohydrates than your body and/or medication can manage, being mentally or emotionally stressed (injury, surgery or anxiety) or contracting an infection.

Symptoms are;

The similar to those before diagnosis, and if blood glucose levels are high for extended periods of time it may lead to the development of long term circulation problems.

TreatmentMedication, insulin, or tablets will, be needed to reduce the high glucose levels. In certain cases hospitalisation may be required to bring levels down in a controlled environment.

Finally; Remember prevention is better than cure. To reduce your risk of getting type 2 diabetes follow a healthy diet, take regular exercise, and control your weight. This is not a fully comprehensive guide to diabetes, but I hope that it goes some way to help you understand the condition that affects 2% of our population.

If you have any diabetes health concerns you should initially contact your GP. For further information and advice on diabetes go to; Diabetes UK https://www.diabetes.org.uk call 02074241000 for trained advice, or contact our Health Safety and Wellbeing team on 01872323138. Other type 1 diabetics in the Service include; Graham Hughes (Petroleum Officer) and Andy Taylor (Critical Control) who are happy to give advice to anyone wanting to find out more.

Watch Manager Martin Mellor(Type 1 diabetic since 2005)

Our People


Presentation by Mr Arthur Roberts to Cury Parish Emergency Plan Volunteers16 June 2017

I am writing to thank you for the presentation by Arthur Roberts, from your Resilience and Emergency Management team, given to our Parish Emergency Plan Volunteers last night in Cury Village Hall.

Arthur gave an absolutely riveting 40-minute presentation to the 32 people present, being the volunteers and some of their wives/husbands, and what he covered was an absolute eye-opener. We have had an Emergency Plan in being for only 3 years but his talk was an inspiration to us volunteers as it confirmed that what we had planned and volunteered for was worthwhile in the overall scheme of things by the professional emergency managers in Cornwall. In my humble opinion, this was the most valuable lesson to

come out of the presentation.

We are truly grateful for Arthur Robert’s offer of help to test out our Plan for those of us earmarked in controlling and managing any emergency we are faced with in our Parish. We intent to take up his kind offer up this year.

Thank you once again for making Arthur Roberts available to talk to us and for his offer of continued assistance.

Yours Sincerely,

Robert WrightMember, Cury Parish Council and Parish

Upcoming Campaigns

Open Day at St Austell Community Fire Station5 August 2017, 10am to 2pm

Open Day at Wadebridge Community Fire Station5 August 2017, 11am – 2pm

Open Day at Penzance Community Fire Station19 August 2017, 10am to 2pm

Open day at Looe Community Fire Station – in support of Looe Carnival 5 August, 10am – 7pm

Letters of Appreciation

Open day at Mullion Community Fire Station 24 August, 6pm – 9pm

Open day at Falmouth Community Fire Station26 August, 10am – 1pm

Open day at Truro Community Fire Station2 September, 10am – 2pm

Charity 6-a-side Cricket match20 August 2017, 12pm

Wadebridge Community Fire Station are holding a charity 6 a-side cricket match on Sunday 20 August. Lots of cricket, food and fun for the whole family! £18 per team, includes BBQ, kids play area and bar. All proceeds to The Fire Fighters Charity. For further details call Tim on: 07850 039 643.

Cornwall Pride 2017On Saturday 26 August the Phoenix fire appliance will be leading the parade through the main street of Newquay and finishing in Killacourt for the party in the park for the afternoon. If you would like to join our service and be more involved then please email me at [email protected]

August 2017


Letters of Appreciation

Dear Stuart

On behalf of Gareth Churcher, Head of Service - Cornwall Music Service Trust, I am delighted to inform you that at our recent concert held at the Falmouth Methodist Church the money raised was £2,500. This was an amazing result and we are all indebted to the Social Club of the Fire Station for donating money from its Firework Display in November. This contributed towards costs for presenting the concert given by 140 youngsters from Cornwall’s schools, such as the hire of the church and other necessary expenses. It therefore meant that all moneys raised on the evening could be handed in total to the Trust.

Please pass on my thanks and those of the CMST for your contribution in making this event such a success.

Kind regards

Donation to Penryn Memory Cafe’s Walking GroupDear Mr Stuart Williams,

I would like on behalf of all us involved in supporting the Dementia Friendly Walking Group organised by Ms Ellie Robinson-Carter, to thank the Falmouth Firefighters for their most generous donation of £300. Even though there was initially a slight administrative hold-up, please be assured that your generosity is already being put to good use, helping pay for the transport of beneficiaries without their own to their walk’s rendezvous.

As I tried to explain before, your kind donation will be administered separately within the Penryn Memory Cafe’s account. With the much-discussed prospect of an ageing population, many of whom are likely to experience varying degrees of dementia, the need for support of those living with the problem is likely to increase. Your generosity has helped provide an added facet to the increasing need for such support in the Penryn area. Many, many thanks.

Yours, TreasurerPenryn Memory Café

CHICKS Donation – Thank you to White Watch FalmouthA huge thank you to Falmouth Fire Station for donating £300 to children’s charity CHICKS. Your support will help us to provide life-enhancing respite breaks for disadvantaged children from across the UK.

Emergency Plan Coordinator

Dear Elen

Bodmin Community Fire Station,

Just to say, again, how much I enjoyed your talk to us, last Saturday morning, concerning fire safety. Since then a great many of our members have told me how much they enjoyed it and how they were impressed by

your presentation.

I have already changed the position of one door key and the arrangements of a couple of plugs. My wife and I have already agreed to ask your people to come and check our house, once we return from a short holiday.

Thank you, once again, Very best wishes.


Fire Lower Lux Street, LiskeardDear Sirs,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Liskeard Fire Brigade most sincerely for attending so promptly at 21 Lower Lux Street on Wednesday 3rd May 2017 to extinguish the fire at the property and minimise the damage. All the fireman’s work was greatly appreciated and I congratulate everyone for all their efforts and professionalism.

Yours Faithfully

Graham Wrights AuctioneersEstate Agents & Letting Agents

First Responder feedback

I just wanted to say a very big thank you to the 2 first responders who came to my call on Friday 23rd June at the Polurrian bay hotel at about 0600. I know one was called Chris but not sure who the other one was. They were brilliant. Kind. Professional and helped me immensely. I ended up in Treliske having had a heart attack so am very grateful for their swift response

SportTHE RNLI VS Penzance FIRE 2017

This charity rugby match is now in its fifth year and is a much anticipated event on many peoples rugby

calendar. After winning the trophy for the first time last year, it has unfortunately fallen back into the RNLI hands. Conditions on the day were well suited for fast flowing expansive rugby and this theme was followed throughout the game. A large crowd was once again present at the game ready for kick off.

The game followed the same fashion as previous years with fast paced rugby with strong and committed tackles going in. The RNLI started to take the upper hand and showed they were significantly stronger side to the one that took the field last year. The RNLI took the lead using the strong wind and breaks from their pack to take the upper hand. After a stern talking to from Dave Moyle the Fire and Rescue Service side seem to wake up after the first 20 minutes and threaten the RNLI line through strong runs from Mark Goldsmith and Ben Taylor. But were unable to convert this into points, the first half finished 17-0 to the RNLI.

The second half kicked off with the Fire Service side needing a strong start to take the lead. Things started well when Ben Taylor dotted down for one from a

driving maul. It looked possible that the Service may be able to take the lead, but were unable to convert sustained pressure in the RNLI 22. The RNLI picked up a couple of breakaway tries and took the game out of sight and we were able to get over the whitewash once more through Ryan Forrester on the wing. The game ended with the scores at 28 – 10 to the RNLI, so the trophy will be displayed at the Penlee Lifeboat station for the year. The Man of the Match was awarded to Ben Taylor for the Service and Scott Perkin for the RNLI.

The game raised over £2,500, our largest total so far. This all came from donations, raffle and auction, with the money being split between The Fire Fighters Charity and the RNLI. Big thanks go to all the players that put in a massive effort, those that attended, people that helped out on the day and to the sponsors.

© Caterina Lombardi 2017


2017 Side - 1. Dave Moyle, 2. Ben Taylor, 3. Ray Griffin, 4. Ian Nimmo, 5. Mark Goldsmith, 6. Matt Riches, 7. Adam Harvey, 8. Darren Rowe, 9. Andy Hitchens, 10. Jimmy Trezise, 11. San Ismael. 12. Greg Loydall, 13. Tom Nicholas, 14. Doug Arnull, 15. Lewis Thomas

Sport

Replacements – Ben Jenkins, Jamie Hollow, Ashley Weston, Kevin Thomas, Rhys Brownfield and Ryan Forrester. Team Management – Stewart Whitworth and Des O’Connell

Crew Manager Tom NicholasPenzance Community Fire Station

Dan Warring/Andy Sleeman 15 year testimonial matchNorth Petherwin Reps 3-5 Launceston Community Fire Station and friendsOn Thursday 25 May at Petherwin Park, the Launceston fire crew played their second friendly game and after a recent defeat at Tregadillett, enjoyed a win in an excellent natured match up with a selection of North Petherwin players, veterans and youth. Watch Manger Andy Sleemans’ usual team North Petherwin opened the scoring with a great strike giving firefighter Mitch Dyer in the sticks no chance. The game then turned with the lefty hammer of firefighter (FF) Ryan Christophers and an unfortunate o.g. More goals came through ex FF Wayne Downing, Andy Sleep and referee awarded a lenient penalty for each side. A great atmosphere in the sun that had it all, class from FF Liam Tilley, robust defending from Tri- Service FF Adam Chapman FF Aaron Jarvis and FF Stu Roach, skills displayed by Bodmin/Bude FF Jack Wellington

and gritty working performances from Crew Manager Steve Branch, FF Aaron Jarvis and newest FF Graham Newberry. The football all stemmed from fitness test prep, onto 5 aside on a Friday and now some full matches. An extension up for the fire crew is Ambrosia Custard XI.

Watch Manager Andy SleemanNorth Command Group Trainer


Cornwall Fire Service represents the South West in the National 5 a side competition in Newcastle

On the 2 March 2017, the British Fire Service National 5 a side competition was hosted by Tyne

and Wear Fire and Rescue Service in Newcastle.Cornwall alongside Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service was representing the South West region for the 2017 competition. Fire Services from the British Isles gathered in Newcastle to compete for the prestigious title of being British champions of 2017 at 5 a side.

Nine teams made their way to the North East, including Cornwall, Lincolnshire, Greater Manchester, Tyne and Wear, North Yorkshire, Devon and Somerset and Merseyside and Strathclyde.

All teams competed in two leagues with the top two playing in the semi-finals and the winners of that competing in the final. Each game consisted of two x eight minute halves, three points for a win and one point for a draw. The games were played back to back with a break between games.

Each game was played with the typical Fire Service passion and competitiveness and knew that a good start was essential. The Cornwall team battled and played to the best of their ability and started well, beating our close rivals Devon and Somerset. Cornwall marginally lost the next game against Tyne and Wear but went onto win against Lincolnshire and beating the favourites Strathclyde. As the day went on, the legs got more tired and the games seemed to get harder and longer. However we finished second in our league and played North Yorkshire in the first of the semi-finals.

A very close hard fought game with North Yorkshire but they got the better of us and scored a late brace of goals to reach the final. The eventual deserved winners were Tyne and Wear who beat North Yorkshire in extra time in the final.

A great competition was had by all and both Cornwall and Devon and Somerset reached the semi-finals, the first time in their history.

I would like to thank the hosts, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service who put on a great tournament and buffet and all the organisers of the competition who worked extremely hard to ensure that this competition went according to plan.

Also, I would like to thank South West Fire Sport UK, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service and all who are involved in Service sport within Cornwall. We can all be proud of our sporting achievements in the various sporting activities that we take part in within the service.

Team includes:Back Row from left to right:

Matt Parsons – St Austell Lee Griffin – North Command Steve Barclay – Perranporth Andy Morris – Perranporth Scott Brown - Bodmin

Front Row left to right:

Mike Titchin - Truro Martin Murt - Newquay Andy Sleeman – North Command Nathan Bonney– Bodmin

Yours in sport Station Manager Lee Griffin


always fIghtIng fIres?

St Austell Fire Rescue Services Orange Watch

Cornwall cares about youDon’t flush your life away

If things are getting you down, take your first step towards getting help by talking to someone:

• A trusted friend or family member

• Your GP

• Samaritans

Documents

Beyond Cover - Cornwall Council · 2017-08-07 · Beyond Cover Issue 25 News from Cornwall Fire, Rescue and Community Safety Service A service of Cornwall Council August 2017 Light