windsorfirestation.co.uk

To say that the Brigade is worried about the forthcoming judicial review in the High Court would be the understatement of the decade. The dubious decison to CLOSE Windsor Fire Station at NIGHT will be subject to national media atention as will the dodgy so called ”public consultation”.
In desperation, they are grasping at straws in a bid to bolster their actions at some future point…
Firstly, they are sending the Windsor appliance ever increasingly to standby (cover) at Bracknell fire station whenever Bracknell receive a call. Historically, the Bracknell retained appliance has always been used for this role. At some juncture they will undoubtedly attempt to ”demonstrate” a ”need” at Bracknell Fire Station which is rather close to Wokingham Fire Station where the Brigade wish to redeploy Windsors night crew. (A questionable decision in itself, since Wokingham get a quarter of the night calls of Windsor!). The Brigade may well catch a cold here, by leaving east Berkshire so vulnerable. Please see our previous posts for many examples of this scenario.
Secondly, the ”books are about to be cooked”:The Brigade is introducing a questionable Automatic Fire Alarms Policy whereby only one appliance is sent out to fire alarms actuating at commercial premises. So instead of assessing the nature of the risk with a full PDA (Pre-Determined Attendance) the Brigade have hived down the attendance to one appliance. Let us all hope that it’’s not well alight, otherwise we”ll have to await the back-up which had been axed.
Of course, call rates upon various stations will fall as a result, so expect future statistics which will ‘’show the need” for closures.
In the meanwhile we can only hope that such desperate measures are not mulled over in a Coroners Court.

Yet again, Windsor Firefighters have stepped up to fill the gap…
On Sunday 11th May the Windsor NIGHT crew attended a severe fire at the Sports Pavilllion in St Mary’’s School, Ascot. Why? Because Ascot retained Firefighters had failed to crew.
Now also consider the scenario last week when a fire at Browns Restaurant in Windsor utilised appliances from Windsor, Slough and Langley, which wholly stripped east Berkshire of emergency fire cover for a period.
Now consider how crass the notion of CLOSING Windsor Fire Station at NIGHT is?

Today, the Ascot retained Firefighters were unable to crew.
Therefore, the Windsor crews were called out at 15-22 hours, to a serious road traffic collision on the B383 just south of the Crispin Public House in Ascot. Three vehicles were involved and the crew rescued one person who was trapped within the wreckage.The carriageway was closed by the police until aout 19-00 hours.
Fire service resources in east Berkshire are stretched: If the proposed closure of Windsor Fire Station goes ahead, the safety of the public and firefighters will be endangered.

The NIGHT crew at Windsor was called to a dramatic fire in Browns Restaurant, River Street, Windsor. The call was at 20-33 hours on 02 May.
Windsor was first appliance at the scene within TWO minutes. Further appliances came form Slough and Langley respectively.
Upon arrival the crew observed smoke and flames billowing from a large electrical unit situated within the main electical intake for the building. Crews wearing breathing apparatus used 3 CO2 (carbon dioxide) extinguishers to bring the blaze under control. As an additional safety measure during firefighting, the electrical supply to the whole building was isolated.
300 customers from within the restaurant and bar were evacuated, as well as the staff.One member of staff was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene by the ambulance service.
Firefighters also cordoned off the external area from the public during operations and the police temporarily closed down the road to vehicular traffic from Thames Avenue through to Barry Avenue.
The Windsor crew remained at the incident for 4 hours and liaised with the electricity board who disassembled the unit for inspection.
Bearing in mind the fact that the Brigade want to CLOSE Windsor at NIGHT, this incident was particularly noteworthy since Windsor, Slough and Langley ALL attended this incident. Sloughs second appliance was covering Maidenhead. Therefore, there were NO appliances covering the east Berkshire area at one stage. That is a huge area with great risk and potential.
Public and Firefighter safety must not be compromised by the proposed closure of Windsor.

At 11-20 this morning, Windsor Firecrews were sent to rescue a man who had become injured as a result of a fall from a ladder into a large trench. The incident was at Banhams Farm, Oakley Green Road, Fifield. Crews from Slough and Maidenhead also attended.
The pipeline worker had suspected lower back injuries and was unable to recover himself from the trench in which workers were laying a 1200 m/m (4 feet) diameter water pipe.
Firefighters used specialized line rescue equipment to lower themselves into the trench and then attached a rescue harness to the casualty who was subsequently removed to safety with an assisted lift.
An Air Ambulance was at the scene-the doctor assessed the casualty who was subsequently taken to Wexham Park Hospital in Slough by road ambulance, for further treatment
A significant police attendance was also observed.
Firefighters were at the scene for 2 1/2 hours.

The forthcoming judicial review in the High Court has featured in the Windsor Express newspaper this week.
The Chief Fire Officer has been quoted and we would like to take this opportunity to respond to such:

Quote: ”The judge will be looking at whether the consultation process was adequate, not at the final decision.”
Point of order Number One: Please note that if the original public consultation was flawed, then the final decision made as a result of such ”findings”, would equally be doomed. You can”t build a house on dodgy foundations!

Quote: ”I don”t object to Windsor’’s councillors and residents opposing us over closing it at night, they are looking after Windsor.It is my job to look after Berkshire”
Point of order Number Two: Windsor Fire Station has a huge station ground which also covers West Windsor, Fifield, Winkfield, the Great Park, Old Windsor and south Datchet. Windsor also backs up Slough and Langley on a regular basis, and has been described by one Control Room Operator as, ”The glue which holds east Berkshire together”.
Diminishing resources within the expanding east of the county is therefore not just a Windsor issue.

This morning at 00-25 hours, the Windsor appliance was sent to cover Bracknell when they were on a call. These ‘’standby” moves are becoming more common as a result of a recent policy. The Brigade wish to increasingly use Windsor in the Bracknell area, but unfortunately this diminshes the fire cover in east Berkshire.
When we arrived at Bracknell, their retained appliance was sat idling on station: Until recently this would have done the standby duty.
At Bracknell, I heard a Slough appliance standing by at Maidenhead whilst they were out on a call.
That left one Slough appliance, plus Langley to cover the huge station grounds of Windsor, Slough and Langley.
We”ve now crossed the line between dangerous cost cutting and efficient use of resources: someone will pay such price with their life in the future.

Certain high-level Brigade Managers and members of the Fire Authority have recently attempted to dismiss the forthcoming judicial review in the High Court. They maintain that this will not affect their plans…
They seem confident, but the mask is slipping?
You will recall that the original Brigade plan was to totally close down Windsor and sell the land for £££millions? That plan was thrown out.
Then, this campaign website was banned upon EVERY Fire station within Berkshire for 4 1/2 months. No legitimate reason was ever given. That act hardly represented organizational confidence?
Now we have a highly unusual legal action coming up in this year within the High Court. This will generate considerable publicity at a national level and an adverse outcome for the Brigade will throw up many difficult questions. Plus there could be the possibility of a new public consultation being ordered. If that is the case, it will have to be impeccably undertaken. The people of Windsor and the surrounding areas will have to be listened to this time.
I”m sure you now know what is behind the mask?

On the 20th April at 20-30 hours (the night shift), there was a serious chemical incident at ICI in Slough. A container holding 11,000 litres of a chemical began to gas off into the atmosphere within close proximity to a dense residential area.
Eight appliances were sent to this incident.
Lest it be forgotten, we wish to point out that the Brigade wishes to CLOSE Windsor Fire Station at NIGHT? Slough are then supposed to cover 2 station grounds - if they are available since they are the second busiest station within Berkshire!
The ramifications for the safety of residents and Firefighters within east Berkshire is of great concern…

If Windsor is CLOSED at NIGHT, the optimistic Brigade theory, plan and expectation is that Slough will cover Windsor? Therefore, Slough, which is the second busiest station in the Brigade, will have to cover 2 huge station grounds IF they are available?
A further flaw in the plan surrounds the fact that Windsor is REGULARLY used to back up both Slough and Langley. Diminishing resources in east Berkshire may compromise public and Firefighter safety in the future.
On the 13th April, Windsor Firefighters were called to an incident in Albert Street, Slough. They attended a severe fire in a derelict building and backed up Slough and Langley Firefighters. An aerial appliance was also sent from London Fire Brigade. Two main jets and two high pressure hosereel jets were used. Firefighters were at the scene for about 3 hours.
East Berkshire is expanding-this is not the time to be stripping emergency service resources.