Welcome from the Chief

Welcome to North Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

Our aim is to protect communities before emergencies occur and to provide a professional, efficient and effective fire and rescue service for all who live, work and travel throughout North Wales.

We have a consultation out at the moment and would like you to tell us what you think by clicking here.

Join forces with us in the fight against fire


Carefree holidays

The climate change phenomenon, together with global weather patterns, has resulted in floods in Pakistan, peat and forest fires in Russia and landslides in China. These extreme weather events, thankfully, don't have an effect on us in Wales, but serve nevertheless to make us all think more about our lifestyle and habits.

If you're out and about in the country, remember to extinguish cigarettes and other smoking materials properly and never throw cigarettes out of car windows. Also, please do not start open fires, as these can easily get out of control.

If you see a fire in the countryside, report it immediately. Please do not attempt to tackle the fire - the best advice I can give you is to leave the area quickly and safely and contact the fire and rescue service.

The joys of camping bring with them their own fire safety dangers - you can receive burns while attempting to change a butane gas cylinder on gas camping stoves unless you're careful.

It is vitally important that you follow manufacturers' instructions when using cooking equipment, and make sure it is used outside the tent. Candles in tents are also extremely dangerous - please never use a naked flame or smoke inside the tent, go out for a cigarette and use a torch as a light supply.

A tent can be destroyed by fire in just 60 seconds, causing serious or even life threatening injuries to those inside. Be prepared to cut your way out of a tent, and if your clothing does catch fire, stop what you are doing, drop to the floor and roll around to try and extinguish the flames.

Our common sense rules apply when you are on your summer break - keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children, and do not leave children alone in caravans or tents.

If you are a fan of caravanning, I strongly advise that you fit an optical smoke alarm into your caravan. This will give you an early warning signal which will help you escape unharmed in the event of a fire. North Wales Fire and Rescue Service can fit smoke alarms for free - please call 0800 169 1234 or visit www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk to register for a free home fire safety check.

Unattended cooking

Once again we are urging the public to take notice of fire safety advice we give. The incidents of chip pan fires persist and we still have to deal with unacceptable numbers of cooking-related incidents in North Wales.

Firefighters were called to five different locations in less than 24 hours in July and our Community Safety Officers are becoming frustrated by people who put their own lives, and other people's, at risk.

Fortunately, many of the incidents happen in properties with working smoke alarms. This, of course, means that people have a chance of an early escape before the smoke overwhelms them. The properties with no working fire alarms result in far worse consequences.

In relation to cooking, please ensure you follow these basic guidelines:
1] Never leave cooking unattended - a small fire quickly turns into a life threatening blaze.
2] Never cook after drinking - prepare a sandwich or get a takeaway.
3] Ensure you have working smoke alarms in your home.
4] Formulate a fire escape plan to make sure that you and your family know how to escape safely in the event of a fire.

You can help to keep yourself and your family safe by ensuring you have a working smoke detector in your home.

For a free smoke alarm - register for a home fire safety check with North Wales Fire and Rescue Service. We will visit your home, give fire safety hints and tips, help you to formulate a fire escape plan and fit new smoke alarms - all free of charge. Telephone our 24 hour hotline on 0800 169 1234, e-mail cfs@nwales-fireservice.org.uk, log on to our website www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk or text 88365, ensuring you prefix your message with the word HFSC.

Out and about

Many of you will have seen our firefighters out and about at various summer events and activities.

Our firefighters were out in style at Hwyl yr Haf , in Dolgellau, to support the annual fund-raising event organised by the Rotary Club.

Staff from the Fire and Rescue Service were also at Sioe Môn (the Anglesey Show) and the Denbigh and Flint Show (19th August) to promote fire safety. These annual events are highlights on the agricultural calendar in North Wales and bring together local residents and visitors, providing us with the opportunity to access a wide range of people.

Aberdyfi Fire Station opened its doors to the public on Thursday, 19th August and invited local residents and visitors to come along for a fun, informative and free evening out.

We're also keen to hear your views on key issues that could influence our future objectives. However good we are at what we do, it is important we should always aim to do better.

The public can find out more by logging onto our website on www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk , the completed questionnaire must be forwarded by the deadline on 10th September 2010.

Simon Smith - Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive

 

Are you planning a small rubbish burn / bonfire on your land?

If so, please call North Wales Fire and Rescue Service on 01745 535805 to notify them and reduce the risk of appliances being called out unnecessarily.