Firefighters receive awards for rescue of elderly in serious fire

Firefighters who were “tested to the limit” when they rescued elderly residents in a serious fire at a Shropshire care home were praised for their efforts which led to everyone getting out alive.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer John Redmond also paid tribute to staff at the Extra Care home in Madeley, Telford, for their professionalism in being so well prepared for such an emergency.

Submitted by web-services-officer on Thu, 24/03/2011 - 11:57

Keeping Shropshire Safe

Firefighters wore chemical protection suits to investigate a leaking drum spilled from the boot of a car which ended up on its roof after a crash in a simulated training exercise involving many of Shropshire’s emergency services.

They contained the mystery chemical into a secure drum before using Shropshire's Fire Control based at Shrewsbury brigade HQ to check from the damaged label that the substance was sulphuric acid which had leaked in the accident on the A49 at Marshbrook – all part of the training exercise scenario.

Submitted by web-services-officer on Thu, 24/03/2011 - 11:35

Suspicious fires in Telford

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service are asking residents to be vigilant in the Hollinswood area of Telford following several rubbish fires and a wheelie bin fire.

Crews from Telford central were called out to a rubbish fire in an underpass, off Duffryn at 2:26am on Sunday 20^th March.

Crews were called out again last night, Monday 21^st March 2011, to another rubbish fire the same location at 6:41pm, a report of a wheelie bin on fire at Downton Court, Hollinswood at 7:35pm and a further call at 8:17pm to another rubbish fire at Dunsheath, Hollinswood.

Submitted by web-services-officer on Tue, 22/03/2011 - 12:19

Spate of gorse fires prompts safety warning

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service are urging people to stop and think about the consequences of gorse and grass fires following seven gorse fires in the Catherton Common and Clee Hill areas in the last two weeks.

Recent dry weather has increased the risk of rural fires and some of these incidents are believed to have been ignited deliberately or have involved uncontrolled burning by landowners leaving fires unattended.

Submitted by web-services-officer on Wed, 16/03/2011 - 10:08

Toxic smoke warning to Telford residents

Get a smoke alarm and test it weekly – that is the stark advice to Shropshire residents from county firefighters to avoid dying from toxic smoke in a house fire.

Just two to three breaths of toxic smoke and “you're unconscious,” warned community fire safety officers at Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.

“Toxic smoke affects your ability to breathe. It is a sensation similar to drowning,” said John Das Gupta, Head of Fire Prevention.

Last year a 21-year-old Shropshire student was critically injured after suffering toxic smoke inhalation.

Submitted by web-services-officer on Fri, 11/03/2011 - 12:05

Chemical leak training for Shropshire firefighters

Shropshire firefighters donned special air tight chemical protection suits to tackle a reported ammonia leak during a large scale training exercise at a major food storage and distribution depot.

The planned exercise was at Grocontinental’s compound in Whitchurch Business Park – one of the largest freezer stores in Europe and a major Shropshire employer with 300 staff.

Submitted by web-services-officer on Fri, 11/03/2011 - 11:59

Police appeal following possible arson, Donnington

Police in Telford are appealing for witnesses following a suspicious fire in Donnington. The incident occurred on St Matthews Road on Tuesday 1 March.

At just after 2am police received reports that three individuals had been seen walking down the road carrying a petrol can. On attending St Matthews Road, police discovered that a blue MG ZR car was on fire and the fire service was called immediately.

Submitted by web-services-officer on Wed, 02/03/2011 - 12:44

Shropshire Fire Service urges people to lend a helping hand

In six week’s time (6th April, 2011) switchover to digital television reaches north Shropshire and south Cheshire and the ‘Helping Hand’ campaign urges everyone to make sure older and disabled people in their area know about the help they can get from the Help Scheme to switch to digital TV.

Helping Hand is all about the local community checking friends, relatives and neighbours have taken the appropriate steps to make sure their TVs are ‘switchover-ready’, as on the 6th April BBC 2 will be switched off, with all analogue channels going 14 days later (20th April).

Submitted by web-services-officer on Thu, 24/02/2011 - 10:32

Tax freeze

The cost of running the county's fire and rescue service will remain the same at £1.61 a week for the average Shropshire householder as the fire authority announces a tax freeze for 2011/12.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service is one of the best performing services in England but receives one of the lowest Government grants per head of population out of all the fire and rescue services in the country.

Submitted by web-services-officer on Thu, 24/02/2011 - 10:05

Suspicious fire in Boningale

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service were called out to The Lea Manor Hotel, Boningale near Albrighton at 06.53 on Sunday 13^th February.

Six appliances attended the scene, the ground floor of the unoccupied former Hotel was severely damaged.

The fire is being investigated by Fire Investigators and West Mercia Police. Anyone who has any information about the fire should contact West Mercia Police on 0300 333 3000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Submitted by web-services-officer on Mon, 21/02/2011 - 12:13

General