Hi from apprentice Wilf Amstutz
Hello, is my name is Wilf Amstutz and I'm an apprentice based in our Inclusion and Diversity team.
This month our Service is supporting National Inclusion Week (27 September – 3 October). It's a week that's designed to celebrate, share and inspire inclusion in all its forms.
This year the theme is unity. By participating in Inclusion Week we'll be joining the Inclusive Employers team and thousands of inclusioneers worldwide as we take action to be #UnitedForInclusion.
Inclusion and Diversity is something we live and breathe in our Service - many of our Service values are based around these themes and my team works with the rest of the organisation to make sure it runs through all work and projects.
Follow us on social media to stay up to date with our work and messages.
Community Builder Les receives British Empire Medal
Community Builder Les Nicoll has finally got his hands on his British Empire Medal – 21 months after he was awarded it.
Les’s honour was announced in the New Year’s Honours in 2020 but, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, he was not able to attend a presentation.
However, he made up for lost time by getting the award from a close friend – Deputy Lord Lieutenant Nigel Spencer.
Les said: “If there was a nicer way to receive an honour I do not know of it; presented in my own garden by a good friend, surrounded by friends and family. Each and every guest who came along works or volunteers for the community and each one equally or more deserving of an award as I am, including two young people who have gained their Gold Duke of Edinburgh award through the Fire Cadets.”
Long-serving Les joined ECFRS in 1970 and served as a firefighter for 42 years. He was a huge advocate for prevention messages and the importance of keeping vulnerable individuals safe.
In 2012, Les retired from operational duties but continued his career as a Community Builder.
Is your Chimney ready for cold weather?
We're urging residents with open fires and log burners to get their chimneys swept and inspected before winter.
We usually sees a spike in chimney fires in colder weather, so by taking simple steps ahead of winter, you can reduce the risk of a house fire.
Nick Singleton, Operational and Community Risk Manager for North Essex said: “Most chimney fires are preventable. Always get your chimney swept at least once a year by a suitable tradesperson and they will issue you a certificate for your insurance company. Ensure you check your chimney in the loft for any signs of cracks or corrosion. If you have a wood burner, we recommend that you have a carbon monoxide alarm within the room to give you any early warning. Also ensure your smoke alarms on every level are tested once a week.”
Read more here.
Smoke alarm saves family's life
Fire crews have stressed the importance of working smoke alarms after a family was woken by theirs during the early hours of the morning to discover a fire in their home.
Firefighters were called to the semi-detached house in Chelmsford after the family of four and their dog escaped the property and called 999.
Watch Manager Gavin Ellis said "The fire had spread very quickly, with only a very small area of the downstairs not completely filled with smoke. The fire was caused by clip-on lights, which although had been turned off when the family went to bed, had turned back on during the night. Working smoke alarms save lives - it's as simple as that. This family was asleep when the fire started and if they hadn't been woken by their smoke alarm the fire and smoke would have quickly taken hold of the house and reached them.
"Without a working smoke alarm, this would have been a very different ending."
Read more here.
ECFRS encourages businesses to support Fire Door Safety Week
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is supporting a national week-long campaign to raise awareness of the critical role fire doors play in commercial, public and multiple occupancy buildings.
Fire doors are often the first line of defence in a fire, helping to keep fire in a smaller section of a building and stop spreading and damage. Their correct specification, installation, maintenance and management can be the difference between life and death for building occupants as well as huge costs involved in fire spread and damage.
Despite this, fire door breaches remain one of the most common fines implemented under the Fire Safety Order, with common problems ranging from doors being wedged open, missing or damaged doors or even non-fire doors being installed in their place.
As part of the Fire Kills campaign, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is supporting Fire Door Safety Week 2021 and encouraging building managers, landlords, tenants and all building users to check the operation and condition of their fire doors and repair (if possible) or report those that aren’t satisfactory.
Group Manager Mark Earwicker, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, said: “It cannot be underestimated the difference that an effective fire door can make. A fire door is not always a fire exit door and is typically identified by a blue ‘FIRE DOOR KEEP SHUT’ sign often at eye level. Fire doors are an essential part of our fire protection, they help to compartmentalise a building, such as a block of flats, keeping fire and smoke trapped for a while in one area, so that the fire can be tackled, and people can be safely evacuated.
“If you’ve seen a damaged fire door or know one hasn’t been checked for fire performance, report it to your landlord or building manager straight away and if you see a fire door propped open, make sure you shut it – a fire door cannot work when open.”
Fire Door Safety Week is giving these tips for a 5 Step Fire Door Check that anyone can do, and which lets you know whether it’s time to call in the professionals:
- Check for certification - Is there a label or plug on top (or occasionally on the side) of the door to show it is a certificated fire door?
- Check the gaps - Check the gaps around the top and sides of the door are consistently less than 4mm when closed.
- Check the seals condition - Are there any intumescent seals around the door or frame, and are they intact with no sign of damage?
- Check the hinges - Are the hinges firmly fixed (three or more of them), with no missing or broken screws?
- Check the door closes properly - Open the door about halfway, let go and allow it to close by itself. Does it close firmly onto the latch without sticking on the floor or the frame?
For more details, visit www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk