Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service

Infobox UK Fire and Rescue
name= Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service


area= Tyne and Wear
start= 1974
population= 1.08 million
size= 540 sq. kilometres
staff=
CFO= Iain Bathgate
stations= 17
HQ= Barmston Mere, Washington
FA= Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority.



web= [http://www.twfire.gov.uk/Welcome Tyne and Wear FRS]

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, formerly "Tyne and Wear Metropolitan Fire Brigade" is the statutory fire and rescue service covering the area of Tyne and Wear, England, providing emergency fire cover to a population of 1.08 million people and a geographical area of 540 square kilometres. Its Chief Fire Officer is Iain Bathgate, and its motto is 'Creating the safest community'. [ [http://www.twfire.co.uk/welcome TWFRS: About Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service] Retrieved on January 16 2007 ]

History

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service was formed in 1974, however it had been a requirement, since the passing of the Fire Brigades Act 1938 for local authorities to provide fire cover. [ [http://www.twfire.org/index.asp?pgid=1341 Creation of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service] Retrieved on June 1 2007] Previously fire cover was provided by a number of smaller services [ [http://www.twfire.org/index.asp?pgid=1341 Metropolitan Fire Brigade name change to FRS] Retrieved on June 1 2007] In 2004 the name of the fire and rescue service was changed from "Tyne and Wear Metropolitan Fire Brigade" to "Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service", to reflect changes in local authority structure. [ [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2003/20030036.htm Dept for Communities and Local Govt/TSO: Fire Services Act 2003] Retrieved on June 1 2007] The FRS works closely with Northumbria Police in order to promote community issues.

Overview

The Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service serves over one million people in Sunderland, Newcastle and Tyneside. [ [http://www.twfire.org/welcome coverage area by TWFRS] Retrieved on June 1 2007] The service responded to 24,025 incidents in the period 2004 to 2005, which consisted of 13,060 fires, 8495 false alarms and 2470 special service calls. Of its 15 wholetime, one part-wholetime/part-retained, and one retained fire stations, the FRS operates 49 frontline fire appliances consisting of:

* 31 pumping appliances
* 2 aerial ladder platforms
* 1 turntable ladder
* 1 emergency tender
* 1 Operational support unit
* 1 special rescue tender
* 1 command support unit
* 1 Boat transporter
* 1 fire boat
* 1 incident response unit
* 1 DIM unit
* 7 prime movers
* 5 Urban search & rescue pods
* 2 High Volume Pump Unit Pods
* 1 Rescue Tender Pod
* 1 dis-robe pod
* 1 re-robe pod

Fire stations

There are currently seventeen fire stations in operation with the FRS. The following table contains information about them:

Dennis/Volvo fire appliances

Originally TWFRS Dennis Specialist Vehicles, efficient for fire service use. Over time the service depended less on Dennis appliances and more on Volvo. In recent years it has begun to use more Dennis appliances and it is currently a variation of Volvo and Dennis appliances. Five new Dennis vehicles are on order which are due to be delivered in the Spring of 2007.Fact|date=February 2007 These five new Dennis appliances will be based at Hebburn, Gateshead, West Denton, South Shields and Tynemouth.

Community fire stations

The intention of community fire stations is to use them as meeting places to discuss fire related issues, as well as offer facilities for local citizens to receive fire safety information if should they require it. Another aim of the community fire stations was to "Provide the community with the highest standards of fire safety and firefighting services available" A lot of the community fire stations now have YFA (Young Firefighters Association) which allow children to experience what it would be like to be a firefighter and what work and effort is involved. [ [http://www.twfire.gov.uk/community/communityfirestations " Community fire stations-purpose] Retrieved on 31 January 2007]

During the 1980s and early 90's - the brigade used the “wellyphant” character to publicise it’s fire safety scheme amongst schoolchildren. As well as visiting schools, the character (usually an officer dressed up inside the giant pink elephant costume) visited supermarkets and towns across the brigade’s patch highlighting the message during the school holidays.

Changes to the fire service

Over the next few years the service will be buying new fire appliances and building several new fire stations. There are currently plans to replace one community fire station in Tynemouth and the future of Fulwell is currently being investigated (i.e. refurbishment, re-location or rebuilding on same site).Fact|date=February 2007 The service has currently received another four New Dimension Prime Movers, these four new prime movers are based at Washington (for re-robe module) , sunderland central (for rescue tender pod), swalwell (for high volume pump unit pods)& north moor (for dis-robe pod), along with the existing three based at Sunderland Central for urban search and rescue. The emergency tender based at Sunderland Central Fire Station ended its service in March 2007 and will be replaced by a rescue tender pod. 2 new high volume pump unit pods have been acquired by the FRS, they are based at Swalwell fire station.

References

See also

*Fire service in the United Kingdom
*Fire apparatus
*Fire station
*FiReControl

External links

* [http://www.twfire.gov.uk/Welcome Official Site of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service]
* [http://www.firekills.gov.uk/ Official Site of the FIRE KILLS: YOU CAN PREVENT IT! Campaign]
* [http://www.twfire.org.uk/ Unofficial Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service Website]
* [http://www.fire.gov.uk/ Fire Gateway Website, Fire Safety Information and Fire Service locater]