INDUSTRIAL FIRE TEAMS

[Tractorman9]

Ref the guy who was interested in perhaps setting up a web site on Industrial teams - Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk has a small 16 man crew covering 24x7 for fire and medical first responder calls.

PORT FIRE & AMBULANCE SERVICE
Web site = http://www.portoffelixstowe.co.uk/pressreleases/frmPress.aspx?pid=112

and

http://www.portoffelixstowe.co.uk/publications/journal/frmemergencyassistance.aspx

Plus (like other certain ports and the 2 Northern Ireland Airports / and Mersey Tunnels Police ) they have thier own accredited non home office Police with full constabulary powers)

PORT POLICE
http://www.portoffelixstowe.co.uk/PUBLICATIONS/JOURNAL/frmsecurity.aspx


Any others - I'm always interested !! Bring them on !!

[Tractorman9]

Also many thanks to Paul for the info on www.sembprotection.com

checked this out but not much info on specific details  - could you supply or advise ?

how many stations/pumps/personnel
do you adhere to the rank/new LA type structure

what shifts do you work

how do you recruit ?

do you have agreements with LS services to attend off site etc ?

any private web info/photos ?

Also I understand that as well as yourselves covering the 3 (?) sites on Teesside, that BASF have there own crew near Stockton ? Any details or other sites or companies ?

Cheers !!

[Paul Frankland]

SembCorp have recently taken over the BASF Emergency Response Team on Teesside.

[Lfflee]

Hi, just thought I'd bring this one to the fore.

I've been a WT Industrial FF for 9 years in a large Petrochemical facility in West Wales. I'm also an RDS Crew Manager with Mid & West Wales FRS.

We operate a 224 shift system comprimising on days of 1 Refinery Chief Fire Officer, 2 WT Shift Fire & Safety Officers (SFSO) supplimented by 4 Auxilliary FF's drawn form the workforce. On nights we have 1 WT SFSO plus 4 auxilliary FFs. The CFO and all WT SFSO's are also on call via pager.

We have 1 x Multi media Tender (Dry Powder, CO2, Water) which is also an RP. 1 x Foam Tender, 1 x ET, 1 x ISU and 1 x Ambulance. We are in the process of having a new MMT built with a delivery date of Dec '07 and are also raising expenditure projects for next year to purchase a HVP and LD hose and an extra 100,000lts of foam.

I along with many of my industrial colleuges was mobilised to Buncefield, were after the fire was extinguished I spent 3 weeks acting as a liasion between my company, Herts FRS a the HSE. The fire was extinguished using the equipment suppplied by the industrial fire services from around the UK. This would not of been possible if it weren't for the Uk FRS HVP's supplying us with the water. However it highlighted the fact the LA FRS's are not equipped or trained to deal with these types of incidents. That is why industry is becoming more self reliant, it has to be! My company along with a neighbouring Refinery are forming a Mutual aid group that will responed to industrail incidents in our area. Between us we have £2,000,000 to spend on new equipment, training etc....

So yes, whilst I agree that in some sections of the industry companies are downsizing and in some cases scrapping there fire teams, there are many companies that with the hindsight of Buncefield, are upgrading there fire protection.

Just to clear up about Teesside, I have been there a ew times and they have a very impressive setup, Probably one of the best Industrial Emergency Response services in the world. They operate 4 fire stations, North Tees, Billingham, Wilton and BASF. They opertae 4 watches, not sure of the manning and have some state of the art kit, including the largest industrial pumper in the world. The 6000gpm E-one 'Liquidator' based at Wilton, shes a beast!

[docfin]

Gents I am an instructor at a local authority training centre in the SE. If any of you are local and would like someone to come along one evening and give you some input on RTC; BA, ICS, (i am a qualified tutor in all of these) or any basic firemanship skills I will be happy to oblige (just supply tea and biscuits, lots of tea). Please feel free to contact me.

[gm137]

One of the most valuable assets of a good industrial fire team is local and specialist knowledge. The company I work for produces a large range of alkaloids, and during our last annual inspection, the LAFB requested training from our fire team on the management of some reactive chemical hazards.

Even in these days of increasing data availability, a first-attendance crew is unlikely to have sufficient specialist knowledge to be able to deal safely with an incident invloving an unusual chemical or process. A trained and equipped industrial crew (who can, for example, enter an area with BA and help assess the situation) can be invaluable.

[Andy E]

Hi

I note this forum seems to give Industrial Fire teams loads of stick. I appreciate some Industrial teams are ill trained but thats not their fault, after all they can do is put into practice what they  have been trained to do. But not all Industrial teams are the same. I myself work for Jaguar Cars Fire department a  whole time station, giving Fire and Ambulance cover to the plant.  All the Fire Fighters are either currently retained or ex retained , I  have served 12 years in the Fire Service. We are trained to NVQ level 3 in Fire Service Operations, and also trained to FETA standards for extinguishers. And also trained in Pre hospital Trauma Care. We train with WMFS Ambulance and Fire service and all our qualifications are up to date. We provide a professional service for the company 24/7. Doing some 500 to 600 calls a year. I just think sometimes some whole time  Fire Fighters can be arrogant, not all, just some, who think they are the only ones who have training and are professional . It’s just not the case guys

[Lfflee]

Andy...

Whats your Dept watch strength and shift pattern?

[Chunty]

Can I make one suggestion that may be of use to the industrial firefighters. I base this on my own experiences in the airport industry which at the end of the day is still a commercial enterprise where every penny has to be justified albeit that we have prescriptive guidance from our industry's authority.

If there's one thing that always makes an MD smile it's when a member of staff suggests a way of saving money or better still - making it!

At one of the airports I work for we were compelled by the implications of a contract with the MoD to look at protecting not only their assets when on or near the airfield, but also within the buildings including stores and admin blocks. A training needs analysis identified the need for compartment fire training. So two of us went and earned the instructors qualification, then we came back and developed our own FBT unit, which we did at a snip of the cost quoted by a firm that regularly supplies local authorities by purchasing the ISO's direct from Southampton docks and getting a local welder to carry out the mods.

That unit is now being expanded because advertising its presence has raised the interest of the local brigade who don't have their own unit and use it in on a commercial basis (i.e. money coming in to the firm), we are also negotiating with another external commercial enterprise who do offshore firefighter basic training and have exceeded the capacity of their existing location and wish to share our facilities (more money coming in), and we are also able to use the adjacent firepad, classroom facilities and the skills of the crew members to achieve significant strides in applying the ethos of the RRO throughout the company and provide basic fire safety courses for all staff and fire marshal training for those members with that responsibility (as this isn't contracted out; it's money saved!), I have every expectation that by the end of 2008 this facility will also be commercially marketed (more money coming in!!).

My overall message therefore is to think broadly, not just about what you want but how you can get it and how the MD will perceive the overall status of the fire crew when you show him that you can make more than you spend and contribute to company wide efficiency and safety. The next time you need to justify shelling out on new PPE or appliances, you'll get a very different response.

Believe me, the above isn't a utopian dream of mine; I've done it and so far everyone is benefitting.

[andrew mcgillivray]

HI i am a ex retained firefighter and a trained security office does anyone know of any companies or sites in the uk recruiting staff for fire and security teams , I am willing to pay for my training to gain employment.

thank you andrew mcgillivray

[Midland Retty]

Hi Andy

Vacancies with industrial fire services aren't always readily advertised, however I do see the odd vacancies crop up at www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk - visit the site click on "FIND A JOB", select "SAFETY AND SECURITY" when asked what industry you want to work in and then select "EMERGENCY SERVICES" then "FIRE SERVICE"

Another thing to do is find out which companies have their own fire services  - a few have been mentioned here on this thread so thats a starting point - and give them a bell on the off chance that they may have something.

Many industrial fire crews consist of on call workers who do other jobs on site and are called on when required, and those who occupy full time positions tend to be the officers in charge. So you may have to look at going in at that level and looking to see if you have the right skills / training .

The Teeside Emergency Services are I beleive the biggest industrial fire service in the UK. i think they have four stations and have a 4 watch system. So plenty of scope there perhaps?

I dont know if someone on these forums could give you their number (i tried googling Tesside Emergency Services but could find no info)