Fire safety enforcement in england

[colin todd]

Yes perhaps BOG OFS are the future of fire safety, cos if you buy a civvy IO instead of a fire-fighter, they says its By One Get One Free.

[CivvyFSO]

Yes, how very amusing. Doesn't seem to be the case any more though. Career structures are appearing with reasonable wages, comparable to Building Control work. Might not seem much to you, but there are many worse jobs out there for much less money.

It's all just a drop in the ocean compared to what you probably charge for putting the willies up the Fire Service though.

[colin todd]

My old grandfather had a saying. Well, he actually had three, so, if you will indulge me, I will tell you them all. They were: never show a woman a job half done, speak as you find, and the labourer is worthy of his hire. These remain, even in this day and age, good principles to live by. On a point of accuracy, F&RS seem quite happy with what we charge them, both for training and acting as expert witnesses on their behalf in prosecutions and enforcement issues. I am glad you too are well paid. I am sure you deserve every penny. Perhaps I should retire and seek employment as an inspecting officer. I had set my sights on being a chief officer, but, on contemplation, maybe I would not enjoy being nice to the elected members.

[Clevelandfire 3]

Do you know thats strange Col cos my grandfather had three sayings too. If you care to indulge me I'll tell you about them. Firstly never let them see you bleed, secondly beware of women with Adam's Apples and thirdly be careful of certain scottish folk who take thy employers money with one hand and openly moan about them behind their backs with the other.

Anyway back to these 101 reasons.... we're still waiting ....

[Thomas Brookes]

It does not matter what jobs/ careers you look at some one will always claim they have the worst job in the world for the worst pay.

In my working life I have had one big rule.

As soon as i am not happy with what im doing, (be it pay or conditions etc)

I sort the problem if I can and If not I get a new job.

I got to the stage in my life when I just could not stand listening to the idiots above me (managers) any more so I went on my own.
And when I took over £600k of work off them over the next 5 years I feel I paid them back for all the hassel.
Im not saying that you can take work of the F & RS but if you guys working for them are really that unhappy, leave and get another job or really put your balls in the noose and set up on your own, one thing I will say is it really is not as easy as some of you employed people think it is.

My grandfather had a saying as well. " the grass is never greener on the other side of the fence, and never eat yellow snow"

[Tom W]

A wise man once said "If you have ten thousand regulations, you destroy all respect for the law."

You can bury yourself in standards but the quality lies in commonsense. It comes down to individuals you cannot tar either side with the same brush

[Tom Sutton]

I looked at the fire statistics for fires and fatalities from 1990 to 2006, which is shown above. They both show a trend in the right direction despite any differences people may have and fire safety appears to be working.

The trend for the number of fires in other buildings shows a constant decrease up to 2006 could that be due to the increasing use of active fire precautions instead of the reliance on passive methods?

The decrease in fire fatalities is less smooth, and I know the numbers in 1971 was 152 which dropped to 28 in 1998 and on the introduction of the workplace regs increased at first and then started to decrease. On talk of the RR(FS)O being introduced the figure started to increase and we will have to wait some years to see if the figures come down.

As I was only looking at trends I discounted 2004 which was a very bad year and included Rose Park.

I accept the observations are not very scientific but I think it does show Fire Safety is heading in the right direction.

[CivvyFSO]

but if you guys working for them are really that unhappy, leave and get another job or really put your balls in the noose and set up on your own, one thing I will say is it really is not as easy as some of you employed people think it is.

I thoroughly enjoy my job and I personally think the FRS I work for is a particularly good employer. (Not perfect, but very good nonetheless) Being a 'civvy' I have spent many years seeing what other employers are like, I have also spent some years self employed so I know how that works. (The tax breaks rule, but the sick pay and holiday pay sucks.)

I think Dr Todd was the one who clearly thinks we don't get paid enough.

[colin todd]

Cleveland, You really must try to interpret things better. Its not the employers I moan about, its some of their their employees. But as you rightly say, in my own small way, for charges that appear to be less than competitors, I try to help the employers and the employees. Its a lot of fun, and the employees, according to course evaluations, appear to enjoy it too. So, all in all everyone is happy. Sorry, if that is not what you would like to believe, but feel free, of course, to put your own spin on it. And old TW has just gone to some trouble to show that the trend in fire reduction was nothing to do with the FSO. More facts, I am afraid.

[Izan FSO]

[quote
Do you know if this is the same for most FRS's are the days of jumping in and out of Fire Safety, firmly in the past?
[/quote]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news TW but following the Rank to Role our brigade is going back to a two to four year turn around for Operational Inspecting Officers, however we do still have our non-uniformed inspecting officers who are consistant

[davidandrewsuk]

Little trolling on the MOE Forums as I like to do found this interesting entry.

http://www.means-of-escape.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=90