News
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CFO PETER RICKARD UNDER INVESTIGATION (26/11)
It has become public knowledge that Chief Fire Officer Peter Rickard has been suspended while an independent investigation is carried out into a complaint that has been made against him. Peter was appointed CFO of Cleveland Fire & Rescue Service in 2024. Details of the complaint are not being released at this time.
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LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER (25/11)
We have all come to admire Yve Benwell for amongst other things her list of charity fund raising ventures that got her adrenaline flowing. It seems that her daughter, Michelle, follows in Yve’s footsteps because she very recently undertook a sponsored parachute jump from 15,000 ft to raise money for the Fire Fighters Charity. So far over £600.00 has been raised but the even better news is that you can still contribute. Just get in touch with Yve and she will channel your donation to Michelle’s total raised.
It is touching to note that Michelle and Yve are grieving for the recent loss of Len Benwell and Michelle is doing the fund raising in his memory.
SUSPENDED CFO RESIGNS (25/11)
MARTIN BLUNDEN, the Chief Fire Officer of Scottish Fire & Rescue Service has resigned. A complaint of misconduct was made against him and he has been suspended since March. No further details of the complaint or the alleged misconduct have been made public.
GOOD NEWS! (05/11)
By recent decision of the WRFA Executive Committee members who require to bring a carer to accompany them to a WRFA social event can claim any subsidy on offer for the carer’s meal price.
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DEATH OF JOHN HINTON (31/10)
We regret to announce the death of John Hinton. He served at Royal Wootton Bassett from 1965 to 1984, and retired as leading firefighter.
The funeral took place at North Wiltshire Crematorium, on Thursday 13th November.
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PUMPS FERRIED TO I.O.W FIRE (26/10)
On 18th October a building formerly trading as The Cygnet Hotel, Sandown, Isle of Wight caught fire. Four pumps were available to respond but Fire Control for Hampshire & IoW FRS sent two to the fire when pumps were made four and held two back to maintain fire cover on the island. They also mobilised five pumps to be sent by ferry across The Solent from Hampshire mainland stations to the island. When the ferries docked one pump was sent to the fire and the others provided fire cover for the island.
The FBU have been severely critical of how this fire has exposed the lack of adequate numbers of firefighters to protect the residents on the island and their property. The response to the FBU from the CFO is that the arrangements made to deal with this fire were in keeping with the mobilising policy of the service.
LUCY POWELL MP & THE FBU (20/10)
The FBU has won the support of Lucy Powell MP in their campaign for fire authorities to restore 5,000 wholetime posts of the 12,000 that have been cut in recent times. At the recent FBU conference the motion to campaign for the 5,000 posts was passed unanimously and Lucy Powell was in the conference hall to witness the vote. The vote was taken after those present heard that to extinguish a fire in Dorset it required pumps and crews to be called in from as far away as Northumbria, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and 14 other fire & rescue services. Lucy Powell is a contender for the Deputy Leadership of the Labour Party and she has promised to give the FBU campaign her full support.
PRIME MINISTER SPURNS FIRE CHIEFS ADVICE (18/10)
A number of organisations have advised the Government to allow controlled burning of UK moorland as a means of preventing the summer wildfires that spread to involve large areas of moorland. One of those organisations is the NATIONAL FIRE CHIEF’S COUNCIL. The NFCC together with scientists, farmers, land managers and environmentalist are urging the government to allow controlled burning but Kier Starmer and his ministers have refused to change their policy despite the summer of 2025 being the worst for many years for moorland fires being difficult to control before large areas burn.
It is being claimed that the Labour Party is using the ban as part of its class war. Left wing ideology believes that the controlled burning supporters know that by controlled burning the breeding grounds for grouse are given a measure of protection.
HOME OFFICE “UNFIT FOR PURPOSE” (18/10)
Shabana Mahmood MP, the very recently appointed Home Secretary has very quickly come to the conclusion that the Home Office is unfit for purpose and has made her view public. The Home Office has a vitally important function at the core of UK government with responsibility for oversight of the fire & rescue service as part of its duty.
It is the Home Office that inspects fire & rescue services and also police forces to monitor the quality of their performance.
CAPITA FINED £14m (18/10)
The massive company handling the outsourced business of a multitude of organisations, CAPITA, has been fined £14m by the Office Information Commission. The financial punishment is for allowing a cyber-attack to access and steal the personal records of 6.6 million people Capita is the company that has IT contracts with many UK fire & rescue services. Capita also provides the fire & rescue services on many Ministry of Defense airfields and sites. The Fire Service College is also in the hands of Capita.
LABOUR TARGET ELDERLY DRIVERS (11/10)
The Transport Secretary is preparing proposals for changes to the law applying to elderly drivers. The information that has so far been given is that drivers over a designated age will be required to undergo a mandatory eyesight test when their licence comes up for renewal. This is likely to apply to all drivers over the age of 70. It is not yet clear if the test will be free but it seems likely that the applicant will have to pay the cost. Further proposals are said to be under consideration. These apply to drivers applying for licence renewal when they have certain medical conditions. The drivers to whom this new rule will apply will have to submit to a medical examination in addition to an eye sight test.