All the latest news from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue ServiceIn the early hours of the day (1 September - 3.44am) residents living around Byron Terrace, Houghton-le-Spring were evacuated for their safety as firefighters from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service tackled a fire in a shed which contained an acetylene cylinder. Police set up an exclusion zone around Byron Terrace and two neighbouring streets in Hougton-le-Spring to ensure the safety of the local residents. It is hoped that the cordon will be reduced during this evening to enable four of the evacuated families who live on the outer cordon to return to their homes. Seven families will still be unable to return to their properties until 4:00am tomorrow morning. Group Manager Keith Trotter, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, praised the crew saying: "The cylinder involved is an industrial acetylene cylinder which has undergone severe heating due to the intensity of the fire. Firefighters are continuing to use a cooling spray to cool it down over a 24 hour period in line with national guidance and we are monitoring the situation regularly. It could be very dangerous and it has the potential to explode without warning which could put lives in danger. The safety of our residents continues to be our utmost priority. Once again, I would like to thank residents for their patience and co-operation during the evacuation of the area and thank officers from Northumbria Police and at Sunderland City Council for their continuing assistance during this incident." The cause of the fire is under investigation.http://www.twfire.gov.uk/news/news/?EntryId67=50060Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:11:20 GMT20100901061120Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:00:08 GMT20100901060008Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:11:20 GMT20100901061120Firefighters from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service are cooling an acetylene cylinder in Houghton to make sure residents stay safe from the risk of a potential explosion. Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service received a call at 3.44am this morning regarding a fire in a shed containing an acetylene cylinder in Byron Terrace, Houghton-le-Spring. One appliance from Sunderland South Community Fire Station in Rainton Bridge attended the incident during the night. The crew immediately tackled the fire and set up jets to cool the acetylene cylinder. An appliance still remains in attendance to cool the acetylene cylinder. Police set up an exclusion zone around Byron Terrace and two neighbouring streets in Houghton-le-Spring and Sunderland Council assisted with the evacuation of approximately 16 homes as a precautionary measure while the fire was being tackled and the cylinder cooled. Most people were able to find alternative accommodation overnight with family and friends. Those who weren&8217;t - approximately four - were accommodated at Houghton Sports Centre, Houghton by Sunderland City Council. Group Manager Keith Trotter, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, praised the crew saying: "Firefighters quickly recognised the hazards faced at the incident, primarily involving the acetylene cylinder and we asked the Police to cordon off the area as there is a real risk the cylinder could explode. The safety of our residents is our utmost priority. We will be using a cooling spray to cool the cylinder for a 24 hour period in line with national guidance and we will be regularly monitoring the situation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank residents who live in the immediate vicinity of the incident for their co-operation during the evacuation of the area and thank officers from Northumbria Police and at Sunderland City Council for their assistance during the incident." Deputy Chief Executive of Sunderland City Council, Janet Johnson said: "We are doing everything we can to make sure people are kept safe and comfortable while the situation is resolved. We have well rehearsed plans in place for incidents like this, and we put procedures into practice to provide people with temporary shelter and continuing support as soon as we were alerted to the situation. We will continue to offer that support until people are given the all clear to return to their homes with the minimum of disruption.&8221; Northumbria Police Neighbourhood Inspector Graham Finlay, who covers Houghton, added: &8220;Officers are continuing to assist in the management of the cordon around the scene put in place following advice from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service. Police will work alongside the Fire and Rescue Service and other agencies to establish the cause of the fire.&8221; An investigation into the cause of the fire is now underway.http://www.twfire.gov.uk/news/news/?EntryId67=50045Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:43:44 GMT20100901114344Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:42:57 GMT20100901114257Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:43:44 GMT20100901114344Over 50 firefighters were called to a blaze at Wincomblee Workshops on Wincomblee Road in Walker in the early hours of this morning (10 August). Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service's Control Room received a call at 04:35 this morning about the incident. Nine fire appliances and four specialist appliances from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service attended the incident. Two appliances from Newcastle East Community Fire Station in Byker, two from North Tyneside South Community Fire Station in Wallsend and two from Newcastle North Community Fire Station in Gosforth attended the incident, along with an appliance from Newcastle South Community Fire Station in Rye Hill, an appliance from Newcastle West Community Fire Station in West Denton and one from Gateshead East Community Fire Station in Low Fell. An aerial ladder platform from Gateshead East Community Fire Station and one from Sunderland North Community Fire Station in Fulwell were also called to the incident, along with the Emergency Tender from Newcastle South Community Fire Station and the Command Support Unit from Newcastle West Community Fire Station. The fire started in the roof void of the building and was tackled by two jets from above the building using the aerial ladder platforms and three jets on the ground. A number of firefighters wearing specialist breathing apparatus entered the building to help tackle the fire. The building was boarded up which caused some difficulty in fire crews gaining access to the fire. The fire was put out by the crews within two and a half hours. No one was inside the building at the time of the fire. Group Manager Dave Brown, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, attended the incident. He said: "The firefighters did an excellent job in difficult conditions, in particular due to the difficulties in gaining access to the building. Due to their skills and professionalism they were able to contain the fire and stop it from spreading any further." The cause of the fire is not yet known. However an investigation will now take place by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and Northumbria Police.http://www.twfire.gov.uk/news/news/?EntryId67=49599Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:18:15 GMT20100810111815Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:03:57 GMT20100810090357Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:18:15 GMT20100810111815Students from the Newcastle Phoenix Project have transformed a plot of waste land at Newcastle West Community Fire Station into a vegetable garden - thanks to funding from the Denton Ward Committee in Newcastle. The Phoenix instructors along with the students have been working hard since February transforming the dead space into a productive organic allotment where they will grow vegetables to donate to the Older Peoples' Club in West Denton. The Phoenix Project in Newcastle is a partnership between Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and Safe Newcastle. The scheme works with young people who are known to be offending and those at risk of offending between the ages of 11 and 17. It aims to improve the life chances of every young person it works with by introducing them to life skills. The students have used the funding to invest in raised beds, a greenhouse, seeds, tools, compost and bird boxes to attract wildlife to the garden. Healthy eating awareness has been integrated into the project timetable with the aim of increasing the participants awareness of environmental issues, instilling a sense of team work and ownership amongst the group. Crew Manager Gary Scorer, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: "I would like to thank the Denton Ward Committee for supporting this pilot garden scheme. It is giving students on the Phoenix course key development skills which is helping them to integrate with our local communities by giving fresh fruit and vegetables to our residents who attend West Denton's Older Peoples' Club." Councillor Graham Middleton said: "Denton Councillors and the residents who sit on the Denton Ward Committee were more than happy to support this funding to contribute towards the fantastic work the Phoenix Project does in Newcastle. This work fits in well with the Council's Allotment/Grow Your Own Food Strategy and we hope to expand this great work in other areas of the Ward. We welcome any help or expertise from the local community and we are looking forward to making our own compost in the near future." Back L-R - Shannon Beck,Charlotte Baird and Sarah Slater-Bontoft, students on the Phoenix Project. Middle L-R - Councillor Graham Middleton and Crew Manager Gary Scorer, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service . Front L-R - West Denton residents Lilly Dryden and Margaret O'Callaghan OBE.http://www.twfire.gov.uk/news/news/?EntryId67=49289Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:58:42 GMT20100726115842Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:33:23 GMT20100726113323Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:58:42 GMT20100726115842Fire crews have been called out to an incident involving a chemical spillage at St Mary's College in Fenham, Newcastle. The building has been evacuated and there are no reported casualties at the scene. Firefighters wearing gas tight suits have entered the building to investigate the chemical, Chlorine Dioxide, which is believed to have spilled following a malfunction of water treatment machinery. Fire crews from Newcastle South Community Fire Station in Rye Hill, Newcastle West in West Denton and Gateshead East in Low Fell are at the scene as well as specialist decontamination units from Sunderland East in Washington. Group Manager Paul Anderson, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, says: "Our main priority is to investigate the extent of the spillage and ensure the area is safe."http://www.twfire.gov.uk/news/news/?EntryId67=49260Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:21:17 GMT20100723112117Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:16:12 GMT20100723111612Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:21:17 GMT20100723112117Fire Authority Chair Tom Wright officially opened the new North Tyneside East Community Fire Station in North Shields today (Thursday, 22 July 2010). The new North Tyneside East Community Fire Station is equipped with two appliances and an incident response unit crewed by frontline firefighters. It is home to the Station Manager and the North Tyneside District Manager, along with community safety and support staff. It replaces the old station, built in 1959, which was housed on the same site. As well as providing emergency fire and rescue cover, it also has an extensive community safety facility where members of the public can &8216;drop in&8217; for free fire safety advice from experienced staff. The centre will have multi-media facilities and meeting rooms which will be available for the public to book. It is one of five new community fire stations to be built as part of a North East Fire and Rescue Authorities (NEFRA) Private Finance Initiative (PFI) which includes new community fire stations for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service and Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service. The project has received significant funding from Communities and Local Government who contributed &163;42 million in PFI credits to assist in the project. Chief Fire Officer, Iain Bathgate, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service said: "We are committed to providing the community with the highest standards of safety and our new community fire stations like the one here in North Tyneside are a major step forward in achieving our vision of a safer community, ensuring our services are second to none. "We are very proud of the services we offer and are continuously striving to improve our value to the public, both in terms of responding to incidents and increasingly in reducing the risk to the community by preventing incidents from happening in the first place. The community facilities will allow us to get our message across and also provide an excellent focal point for local people to come and receive life saving advice.&8221; Fire Authority Chair Tom Wright added: &8220;I am honoured and delighted to perform the opening ceremony for the new North Tyneside East Community Fire Station. The provision of this new facility will not only better serve the community in terms of firefighting and prevention, but is specifically designed to provide a real physical link with the local community who I know will enthusiastically welcome and embrace it." Work continues on a new training facility and four-storey training tower on the same site which is expected to be complete in early 2011. John Laing Investments provided 80% of the equity for the NEFRA project and Shepherd Construction provided the remaining 20%, as well as building the five new stations which were part of the NEFRA project.http://www.twfire.gov.uk/news/news/?EntryId67=49243Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:30:19 GMT20100722043019Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:19:25 GMT20100722041925Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:30:19 GMT20100722043019Twenty-six firefighters from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service responded to a chemical incident at a recycling plant in Deptford, Sunderland this morning. A worker at the plant had collapsed after coming into contact with an unknown chemical. The casualty was taken to hospital, and six workers and a member of staff were decontaminated by paramedics on the scene. The site was evacuated and firefighters cordoned off the affected area. Specialist hazardous materials officers from the Fire and Rescue Service worked with the National Chemical Emergency Centre to identify the chemical through packaging and labelling at the site. Group Manager Keith Trotter, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Our first priority was to cordon off the area to ensure no one had any further contact with the chemical, then we worked on identifying the chemical so that the casualty could receive the appropriate treatment in hospital." "The liaison between the Fire and Rescue Service, the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) from North East Ambulance Service, the site management and the National Chemical Emergency Centre was excellent and enabled the incident to be brought quickly to a successful conclusion." The priority of the Ambulance Service was to liaise with the Fire and Rescue Service and identify the substance involved. Incident commander Michael Hulme, North East Ambulance Service, said: &8220;Our priority on scene was to prevent any further contamination to anyone else and triage staff on site who were in the vicinity of the incident. All of our agency partners including our Rapid Response Paramedic liaised to bring a safe and quick conclusion to this incident.&8221; Five fire appliances from Sunderland East Community Fire Station in Millfield, Sunderland North in Fulwell and Sunderland Central in Farringdon attended the incident, along with a specialist decontamination crew from Sunderland West in Washington and an operational support unit from Gateshead East, Low Fell. The area of the site that was affected has been closed down until specialist cleaning and decontamination can be undertaken.http://www.twfire.gov.uk/news/news/?EntryId67=49109Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:00:26 GMT20100716040026Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:59:22 GMT20100716035922Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:00:26 GMT20100716040026Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service has helped a number of secondary school pupils achieve a formal qualification and at the same time seen a reduction in anti-social behaviour fires. Sixty-nine 14-15 year olds have been awarded a Level 2 BTEC in Fire and Rescue Services in the Community following a 16-week course with the Service. Pupils from five schools and colleges in the North Tyneside area took part in the initiative over the last three years. The course was set up to reduce the number of anti-social behaviour fires in North Tyneside. It was also used to promote fire safety messages and respect for the emergency services. As a result of the course anti-social behaviours fires around the schools involved have nearly halved whilst hoax calls have dropped by 58%. District Manager for North Tyneside, Mick Nielsen, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: "This has been an excellent achievement by all those involved. Not only have the pupils come away with a formal national qualification but the number of anti-social behaviour fires in the area have also reduced, helping to ensure that our firefighers are available for real emergencies and not tied up dealing with anti-social behaviour fires." Christine Smiles, Academic Leader, Norham Community Technology College, one of the schools involved in the course, said: "The students who have participated have really enjoyed the course. They have gained valuable life skills and knowledge. They also feel they can pass on valuable information to others and agreed that the course was very worth while and would recommend it to other young people." Between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2010 the number of anti-social behaviour fires around the schools have dropped by 47%. The schools involved in course are Whitley Bay High School, Marden High School, Norham Community Technology College, Monkseaton High School and Seaton Burn College.http://www.twfire.gov.uk/news/news/?EntryId67=49051Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:35:40 GMT20100715093540Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:12:11 GMT20100714071211Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:35:40 GMT20100715093540A traditional red fire engine has been made even more distinctive with the help of school children in Newcastle&8217;s West End. Pupils from Hawthorn and Wingrove Primary Schools were set a challenge to design fire safety posters, after taking part in fire safety lessons from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service. More than 200 children took part in the competition organised by the fire and rescue service, after learning about the dangers of fire and the consequences of hoax calls and deliberate fire setting. The winning design from each school, featuring messages about fire safety, was then applied to either side of an 'adopted' fire engine which is based at Newcastle South Community Fire Station in Rye Hill. The Station's White Watch helped choose the winning designs and they and four other finalist designs will be displayed on the Station's giant street-facing screen and framed for display in the schools. Watch Manager Karen Soady, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: "The pupils have done an excellent job - the designs are bright, colourful and eye-catching and really help drive home important fire safety messages. We hope that the experience of designing their own posters will have made them more aware of issues like dangers of deliberate fire setting and hoax calls. &8220;Our aim is to create the safest community for everyone and this was a great way to get children involved in learning and understanding the importance of fire safety. &8220;We were very impressed with the standard of their entries and are delighted with the winning designs. We would like to thank all the children who got involved.&8221;http://www.twfire.gov.uk/news/news/?EntryId67=49042Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:24:28 GMT20100714032428Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:15:43 GMT20100714031543Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:24:28 GMT20100714032428It takes years to build up memories - and just seconds for them to go up in flames. That's the warning from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service in a new campaign aimed at making people over 60 in Sunderland safer from fire.   Statistics from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service show that you are more than twice as likely to be killed or injured in an accidental house fire in Tyne and Wear if you are over the age of 60, with fires starting in the kitchen being the biggest cause of fires.   Called 'It takes seconds', the new campaign has launched in Sunderland. It aims to make people over 60 safer from fire through a range of activities, including home visits by Community Fire Safety Officers who will be offering free home safety checks.   One Sunderland resident has already benefitted from a home safety check and is urging others to take up the free offer.    Mr Gaze, 63, from Hall Farm in Sunderland said: "We read about the campaign and thought it was a really good thing to get done. I've never had a home safety check before and it's definitely made me feel safer at home. The fire and rescue service fitted two smoke alarms and gave me lots of tips on keeping safer from fire and making sure I have a good bedtime routine, like closing all the doors and making sure we've got an escape plan in place should a fire break out. We are also getting rid of our chip pan and replacing it for a thermostatically controlled deep fat fryer."   Another Sunderland resident Marion Austin-Davies, 62, from Houghton, who has also recently had a home safety check, says: It made me step back and think about how I can prevent a fire in my home. The fire safety officers gave me lots of useful advice. Since they came round, every night I make sure I shut all the internal doors in my house and switch off everything except the fridge and freezer before I go to bed. I also make sure my window and door keys are handy in case I need to escape.   Home safety checks include providing fire safety advice, advising on the best escape plan if a fire does break out, fitting smoke alarms and providing practical suggestions on how to ensure fire safety is part of your daily routine. This includes closing doors at bedtime to reduce the spread of fire, ensuring electrical appliances are properly switched off, never leaving cooking unattended and making sure cigarettes are safely extinguished and disposed of.    Community Fire Safety Officers will be wearing uniform and carrying photographic ID badges. Northumbria Police is also working in partnership with the fire and rescue service throughout the campaign and Police Community Support Officers will be accompanying fire officers on their visits to offer residents advice on bogus callers.   Area Manager for Community Safety, John Baines, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said:  Everyone has a right to be safe in their own home. Fire costs lives and families can be devastated when a loved one dies or their home is destroyed. Many of their possessions and their memories cannot be replaced.   "Everyone is at risk of having a fire in their home but older people are more vulnerable than most which is why we're appealing to people over 60 to let us help make them safer. They can prevent tragedies happening by adopting simple safety measures. Home safety checks are free and quick to carry out. It takes our Community Fire Safety Officers just 20 minutes to complete and it's time well worth spending when you consider how quickly fire can take hold and devastate lives."   Neighbourhood Inspector Cheryl Warcup said: "We're delighted to be working alongside our partners at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and to be able to support this campaign.   "Officers from Sunderland will be joining the Fire Service to offer crime prevention advice and answer any concerns residents have about crime and disorder in their area.   "We're always looking at new ways in which we can positively engage with members of the community and working with the Fire Service is giving us a fantastic opportunity to reassure residents and let them know what police are doing to make their area even safer."   As well as visiting people over 60, the fire and rescue service is distributing posters to shops, post offices, GP surgeries and Sunderland Royal Hospital to highlight the campaign. The fire and rescue service is also working with partners like Age Concern and other support agencies to make sure that as many people over 60 receive vital lifesaving advice.   Here are the top five ways to keep safer from fire:   1.         Get smoke alarms fitted in your home and test them weekly. 2.         Plan your escape route in the event of a fire. 3.         Switch off electrical appliances at night. 4.         Never leave cooking unattended. 5.         Ensure that you fully extinguish any cigarettes and tap your ash into an ashtray, never a waste basket containing other rubbish.  If you or someone you know is over 60 and would like a free home safety check, call freephone 0800 032 7777 or visit www.twfire.gov.uk. Always remember that Tyne and Wear Community Fire Safety Officers will be in uniform and carry photographic identity cards. If anyone has any doubts, they should phone Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service on 0191 444 1500.  Fire Safety Officers are happy to be asked to prove their identity.http://www.twfire.gov.uk/news/news/?EntryId67=49004Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:30:45 GMT20100713113045Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:28:10 GMT20100713112810Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:30:45 GMT20100713113045