Calon Tan Q3 2009 (English)

calon

Firefighters ready to tackle any incident MY

Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Ca lon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon ân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Ca Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân

alon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon ân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân alon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon ân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân alon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon ân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân alon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon ân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân alon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon ân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân alon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon ân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân alon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon ân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân alon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon ân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân alon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon ân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân alon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon ân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân alon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon ân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân alon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon ân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Ca lon tân alon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon ân Calon ân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Ca alon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon ân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân alon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon tân Calon

Q3 2009

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On the Ball C

11:38:57

20/08/2009

CT_Q3_eng_cover.pdf

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In Conversation

Calon Tân talks to Anthony “Ianto” Howells, Head Cook at Service HQ

Children of Chernobyl

Twelve children from Belarus visit the Service Area

In Focus

Get to know the firefighters at Builth Wells Station

PPE: The Big Decision!

Plans to replace our exsisting kit

GWASANAETH TÂN AC ACHUB Canolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru

Mid and West Wales FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE

Editorial

Calon T창n Q3 2009 EDITORIAL TEAM Bridget Bassett Corporate Services Manager

Carly Matthews Communications Officer

Paul Thomas Web Systems Administrator

Carly Matthews | Editor Corporate Communications & Member Support

06

14

Tel: 01267 226 860 ext 4460 Email: c.matthews@mawwfire.gov.uk

Index:

Paul Thomas | Designer

Road to: The Himalayas | 03

Corporate Communications & Member Support Tel: 01267 226 862 ext 4462 Email: p.thomas@mawwfire.gov.uk

20

Health and Wellbeing | 04 On Your Bike! | 04 Draft Annual Action Plan 2010-2011 | 04 Book Festival raises money for The Fire Fighters Charity | 04 Paddling his own canoe | 05 Taking up the Challenge | 05 In Conversation | 06 Children of Chernobyl | 08 Making a Splash for Charity | 08 Service launch commitment to a Sustainable Environment | 09 In Focus: Builth Wells | 10 Fire Service partners leading Computer body | 11 Exercise: RTC Artic | 12 We need to talk | 13 PPE: The Big Decision! | 14 Operation Darwen | 16 Making the Grade | 17 Three Dogs and their Men | 18

Calon Tan is printed on 100% recycled paper.

On the Beach | 20 Photo Competition | 22

The calon T창n production team would like to thank everyone who contributed to this edition.

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Road to:

The Himalayas by Michael Cork

“

Besides sightseeing and the challenge of riding such a distance on Royal Enfield Motorcycles we were able to complete our main aim of riding over the highest motorable roads in the world.

”

T

his trip was thought of when I was in Srinagar, Kashmir last year and a friend told me that I ought to visit Leh in Ladakh which has fantastic scenery and some of the highest motorable passes in the world.

I looked at the map of the area and a seed of a plan started to develop. Having done a little research into the trip it appeared that it was possible. In addition to the varying road conditions (tarmac, gravel, stone, sand and even just dust or mud) I was also going to have to encounter differing temperatures, altitude sickness, river crossings and broken bridges.

My wife Simonne told me that she was not interested in the trip as it sounded like torture. “Riding or sitting on the back of a bike for 15 days does not sound like fun”. I mentioned it to a friend who immediately agreed to the trip if the timing was right. In the end there were 4 riders, me, my younger brother Graham we both ride Harley’s and 2 Enduro riders Harry Hockly and Jeff James.

We left the UK on the Saturday 27th June and arrived in Delhi during the night. The next morning we went straight down to the hire shop and sorted the finer details of the hire of our Royal Enfield 500cc bikes and paid our deposit and rental fees.

We rode the trip between the 29th June and 13th July 2009.

Monday morning at 06:00am we were at the hire shop and were loaded and underway by 07:00am.

One of the mechanics escorted us out of Delhi onto the main highway north. We were now on our own, we had a map, fuel and a final destination. Our plan was to ride as far as we felt we should safely and then find accommodation each day.

During this ride from Delhi - Manali - Leh - Srinagar - Jammu - Delhi we covered over 2700 Kms of road and track where we climbed and descended many high altitude passes. Including the 2 highest passes Tanglangla 17582 feet and finally Khardungla 18380 feet.

Besides sightseeing and the challenge of riding such a distance on Royal Enfield Motorcycles we were able to complete our main aim of riding over the highest motorable roads in the world. The states of India we rode through were Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and the Punjab. We also travelled close to the Chinese and Pakistani borders.

“

We encountered extreme heat of over 47 degrees during the day on the plains to sub zero temperatures at night in the mountains.

”

We encountered extreme heat of over 47 degrees during the day on the plains to sub zero temperatures at night in the mountains. Besides dealing with the heat of the day we also rode in heavy rain, snow, ice, sand, dust storms and crossed rivers and broken bridges.

The Cost of the trip was less than £800 in total per person. We stayed in accommodation ranging from less than £5:00 for all four of us per night to £15:00 per person per night including all meals.

The amount of fuel used for the trip worked out at about £60:00 per bike.

The trip was extremely hard work but one of the most enjoyable experiences we have ever had or likely to have and is highly recommended.

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Health and wellbeing Members of staff will shortly be asked to contribute their views on the Service’s current Smoking and Health Policy in the form of a questionnaire within the August pay slips.

I

decided to do a 170 miles charity cycle ride for Birmingham Children’s Hospital as my eldest son Luke (who is 14 years old) was treated there last year for a life threatening brain tumor, which necessitated him undergoing two major neurosurgery operations as part of his treatment.

Please contribute your views and return your questionnaire to Joan Murray at Service Headquarters.

The Service cycle to work scheme continues to go from strength to strength with 110 employees now taking up the facility of purchasing a quality cycle with the allowed tax and national insurance deductions. The scheme is an excellent method of either keeping fit or monitoring fitness levels and is open to the majority of employees.

Following his operations he also had to undergo 6 weeks of radiotherapy treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, also in Birmingham. Fortunately Luke is continuing to make a full recovery from his illness, thanks in no small part to the wonderful care that he received in Birmingham.

For further details of the cycle scheme please access the Health and Wellbeing site of the intranet.

Draft Annual Action Plan 2010-2011

On Your Bike!

I did my ride on 6th June and I completed it in a time of 12 hours and 18 minutes. The weather was awful (very wet and cold) for the first five hours of the ride, but it did dry up and luckily the sun came out as I cycled down through Wiltshire and Hampshire. I left Hay-on-Wye at 6am and arrived in Petersfield on the Hampshire/West Sussex border at 6.18pm.

The training hasn’t been easy with much of my time taken up by my main employment as a Production Manager for a pharmaceutical packaging company, my retained firefighter commitments, and family responsibilities (I am married and we have two other boys, Jamie 8 and Charlie 4).

I raised a final grand total of £2,575.64 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and my son and I recently handed the cheque over to the Fundraising Office at BCH.

Book Festival raises money for The Fire Fighters Charity

Responses to this year’s draft annual action plan have been provided over the Summer.

These responses, received from a wide variety of our stakeholder’s, are now being considered by Fire Authority members.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide their views.

Each year the small town of Hay on Wye opens its doors to hundreds of visitors who come to the Book Festival. The Firefighters of Hay on Wye´s retained station saw it as a great opportunity to promote the Fire Fighters Charity and over the 10 days of the Festival held street collections and sold yellow helmets to the Festival´s goers. The sunny weather brought out plenty of people to the event and the station was able to raise a huge and very commendable amount of £2652 for the charity.

The final annual action plan will be released in late October 2009 along with performance and improvement information.

The Firefighters Charity have asked that a big thank you goes to FF Mike Ward, FF Les Davies, YFF Harry Ratcliffe, FF Mike Ayling, CM Steve Ratcliffe, WM Kit Wells, FF Richard Wildee and Eleanor Jones from Brecon Fire Station.

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A

fter 31 years of Service Bob Rees, Head of Operational Risk Management retired on the 24th July 2009. It may come as a surprise to many to learn that Bob has retired, as he never once took the opportunity to mention this on a daily basis to anyone who would listen, tracking his remaining shifts on a countdown spreadsheet on his PC. Bob, who was born and raised in the Swansea area, started his career with West Glamorgan Fire Service and was posted to the old West Cross station upon completion of his recruits course. Bob served at several different stations and in a number of roles throughout an illustrious career which included promotion to station officer in training in 1989. This started his love affair with all things training. Bob went on to become Deputy Senior Operations Officer in West Glamorgan before returning to training upon amalgamation.

He was appointed Deputy Head of Training in 1996 where his enthusiastic methods of inspiring his staff earned him the nickname of ‘Deadline Bob.’ Bob was instrumental in driving training forward and a key player in bringing realistic flashover training to the Service. His leadership and integrity were unmovable and Bob could always be relied upon to provide a consistent and fair solution to any issue.

Bob became County Commander for Neath Port Talbot upon reorganisation, a role he relished before joining Operational Risk Management in 2005 as the Head of Strategic Planning and Performance.

Paddling his own canoe

Bob has attended many notable incidents, large and small, during his career, and his anecdotes are far too numerous to mention here. The tendering process for his unauthorised biography is currently underway and this should be available in local bookshops by Christmas.

His enthusiasm and commitment to whatever task he undertakes has also earned him other nicknames during his time in the Service, and he is known affectionately as ‘The last Boy Scout’, ‘Spreadsheet Bob’ or more lately as the superhero with special powers in performance management known as ‘Corvuman’

Bob has helped organise and has participated in many charity events and has raised thousands of pounds for the Fire Fighters’ Charity and other local worthy causes. He has also given up his valuable leave to build and maintain facilities at Harcombe House for the benefit of injured fire fighters. He will be greatly missed by all his colleagues and friends not only within Mid and West Wales but also within the wider Fire and Rescue Service community.

Retirement will allow Bob not only to spend time with his family, but to enjoy the wide range of interests that keep him occupied such as mountain walking, cycling, and kayaking to name but a few. A holiday to Canada with his wife Jan is one of the first things on Bob’s list following retirement, but he has promised that he will also keep in touch with his fire service colleagues as he rides around the Mid and West Wales on his Triumph motor bike.

The Award involved the group enhancing their skills on the drill ground as well as becoming actively involved in Community Safety. They assisted Julian Austin (Neath Port Talbot Command) in delivering a lesson covering the topic of the effects of grass fires to the pupils of Blaendulais Primary School, Seven Sisters.

TAKING up the Challenge

O

n June 25th 2009 five Young Fire-fighters from Seven Sisters received their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Awards at the Princess Royal Theatre in Port Talbot.

The group also played an active part in promoting and assisting the local Firefighters to deliver Home Fire Safety Checks within their local area. This experience has given the group an opportunity to raise the profile of both the Young Firefighters scheme and the Duke of Edinburgh Award within their local community.

In order to complete the Award the two day hike took place in the challenging terrain of the Brecon Beacons – the route was planned by the group who in turn successfully accomplished the task and in turn increased their team and leadership skills and are now bracing themselves for the challenge of the Silver Award!!

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In Conversation Calon Tân talks to Anthony “Ianto” Howells, Head Cook at Service HQ.

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What was your first job?

I was 17, working on the Gwili Railway.

What’s your idea of a perfect night out?

A perfect night for me would consist of going for a nice Indian.

If you could invite four guests to a dinner party, living or dead, who would they be and why?

John Charles, I’ve had the privilege of meeting him and he was very interesting.

George Best, Because of my love for football. He was a legend and I admired him for his football and lifestyle. David Jason, for his humour. Elton John, for his music. I think he’s a very talented musician.

What was the first and last album you bought?

First would be Madness. Last album was by the Killers.

What food would you never, ever touch?

Pasta! Don’t know why but I really don’t like pasta of any kind.

If you could be any animal, what animal would you be and why?

I would say a finely tuned race horse. I enjoy going to the races and admire the well maintained horses, they look amazing at peak fitness.

If you weren’t a chef, what would you be and why?

I’d be a Sales Rep, out and about meeting people.

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Children of

Chernobyl

by Gwyn Lewis

Making a Splash for Charity

N

eath Fire Station is holding a charity car wash between 10.00am - 4.00pm on Saturday 18th July in aid of the Fire Fighters Charity and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Everyone is urged to take up this unique ´one day only´ offer of having their car washed by professional firefighters whilst supporting two very worthwhile causes at the same time. Neath Fire Station is situated on Upper Cimla Road, Cimla.

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Twelve children from Belarus enjoyed a month’s holiday in South Wales during July. The children included 2 boys and 7 girls aged 10years and 3 girls aged 14 years together with their interpreter Luidmila Tsvirko. They all come from the Osipovitchy District in Southern Belarus.

The Swansea link of the charity Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline bring a party of children every year to the Swansea area as respite for children affected by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The children stayed with host families throughout the area and all have the best time of their lives. The enjoyment of the seaside and the sight of mountains is something they have never experienced at home.

During their visit they receive dental treatment and visit the opticians where they receive free glasses if necessary. The visit to Morriston Fire station has now been a regular event for the past 12 years.

During their stay they visit Brecon where they enjoy the facilities of the Leisure Centre followed by a cruise on the canal, thanks to Dragonfly cruises of Brecon, also horse riding at Parc Le Brios Riding School, Parkmill.

Mr. Rob Rayner and the enthusiasts at Pembrey country Park provide them with a memorable evening on the miniature railway followed by a wonderful BBQ. They also visit Folly Farm in Pembrokeshire and Big Pit museum where they have the chance to go underground. On

top of all this they enjoy all the free swimming they can get at our local baths in Neath / Port Talbot and Swansea thanks to our local councils, together with as many visits as they wish to Play Zone on the Enterprise Park.

Charity Chairperson, Diane Gambold said: “These children have suffered ill health all their lives because of contamination from the disaster. The benefit of a holiday in the U.K. is that they can have fresh food, clean air and love, and so boost their immune systems and give them a greater chance of a healthier life. Just four weeks away from home will boost their immune systems for up to two years. The look of delight on these children’s faces when they experience something we take for granted stays with you forever.

You couldn’t swap it for a million pounds.”

If you think you can help make a difference and help the charity’s efforts for next year, or interested in finding out more about hosting children please contact Diane Gambold on 01792 774286.

F

riday the 31st July 2009 was a memorable day for the Service when an oak tree was planted in the gardens of Service Headquarters, Carmarthen.

The ‘Shumard Oak’ tree which was donated by the National Botanical Gardens of Wales was planted to formally recognise the Service’s goal of working towards a Sustainable future.

More details of the event as well as the Service’s approach to Sustainability can be found on the Corporate Risk Department BiS site.

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Service launch commitment to a Sustainable Environment 09 20/08/2009 11:32:49

In Focus

Describe your station.

Reliable, Committed, United.

What are the specific risks?

River wye - flooding 2 x working quarries Rural area that has its share of RTC’s Tell us about your most memorable incident.

We rescued an elderly lady trapped in a motor We rescued an elderly lady trapped in a motor vehicle, down an embankment, unknown to anyone that she had been stuck there for 24 hours. She was released and rescued with only slight injuries and later interviewed by BBC Wales on her experience.

Any unusual hobbies?

None really, but range from clarinet playing and mountain biking, to 3 speed push bike marathons dressed in fire kit to raise money for The Firefighters Charity.

Builth

Did you know...

In the year 1690 (or perhaps 1691) the great drama of Builth Wells occurred where some 40 houses were destroyed by fire.

The fire is thought to have raged for about 5 hours resulting in more than £12,000 worth of damage.

Collections and money was raised, but only one house was re-built from the misapplied fund. It has been suggested that materials were taken from the redundant and decaying castle to rebuild the rest of the town, as all you will find at the castle site today are earthworks.

In 1779 a new bridge was erected, on the present site, over the river wye and during the 1820’s a new road was constructed to link north and south Wales together.

The Royal Welsh Show (Sioe Frenhinol Cymru) is the largest agricultural show in Europe. It is organized by the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, which was formed in 1904, and takes place in July of each year, at Llanelwedd, just across the river from Builth Wells.

The first show was originally held in Aberystwyth in 1904, and its success has led to development of the permanent showground site at Llanelwedd, first used in 1963.The show now lasts for four days and more than 220,000 visitors attended this year, making it one of the major events in Wales.

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Fire Service partners leading

Computer I nformation and Communications Technology (ICT) now plays an important role in supporting most aspects of the Service’s operations.

In recognition of this and in order to better reflect the professional status of ICT the Service has now become a corporate partner of the British Computer Society (BCS).

The BCS is a long established organisation being first created in 1957 and receiving Royal Charter as an engineering institution in 1984. It is widely accepted as being the leading body on ICT matters in the UK and is frequently used by Government as a source of expert advice.

Commenting on this initiative Nigel Williams Head of ICT stated: “This is tangible evidence of the Service’s commitment to the training and development of all staff in the organisation.

Through this partnership and the associated Group Membership scheme, a range of specialist benefits can be secured for anyone within the Service who is active in supporting ICT systems.”

The typical benefits that will be accrued for both the Service and its ICT practitioners include: •

Endorsement by a Chartered society of the ICT skills that prevail within the organisation.

•

ICT practitioners who commit to maintain professional standards through a recognised Code of Conduct.

•

Better skilled ICT practitioners with a resultant improved utilisation of ICT in pursuit of business objectives.

•

Access to a skills development framework covering all aspects of ICT.

•

Industry recognition of individual skills and experience.

•

Opportunities for individual networking and access to specialist knowledge, information and publication services.

by Nigel Williams

body The British Computer Society’s Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) is a UK Government backed competency development framework describing the roles within ICT and also the skills that are needed to fulfil them. When appropriate, this framework will be utilised to help determine the training and development requirements of all ICT orientated posts within the Service.

There are currently about twenty BCS members both within the ICT and other departments. Further details regarding the BCS and membership can be obtained from Noel Griffiths, ICT Service Desk Officer. (01267 226854 or extension 4454) 11

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20/08/2009 11:32:59

EXERCISE: by Wayne Price

‘RTC ARTIC’ A

five pump multi agency exercise was organised at the Carmarthen Truck Show, held at the County Showground, Carmarthen on Sunday the 12th July 2009.

The exercise scenario involved a large articulated lorry in collision with five cars.

The lorry had overturned and crushed two vehicles with the remaining vehicles providing extrication scenarios from vehicles on all four wheels, on their roof and on their side.

Participating in the exercise were five Fire appliances from Carmarthen, Whitland, Llandysul, Tumble and Llandovery supported by the Incident Command Unit from Carmarthen and a Co responder unit from Llandysul. Dyfed Powys Police provided two traffic response vehicles and St. John’s Ambulance provided two front line Ambulances.

Due to health and safety reasons, the extrication casualties were limited to training dummies but the Ammanford Young Firefighter’s took up the role of the walking wounded. The youngsters had realistic trauma make up applied and enthusiastically set the scene to attract and maintain the attention of the large crowd.

eloquently by Ff Kevin Hughes from Carmarthen Fire Station who provided a running commentary explaining the roles of the different services and hitting home joint Road Safety messages from Fire Service and Police in relation to Driver Fatigue, Use of Mobile Phones whilst driving, Speed , Drink and Drive etc etc.

Th con to Po ser the fro veh

In order to deal with the articulated lorry, a heavy rescue capability was provided

by Walls Recovery which included an impressive 42 tonne Heavy rescue unit and flat bed lorry. The rescue unit was used to lift the articulated lorry off the trapped vehicles which it managed with remarkable ease.

The exercise ran for over an hour and provided an excellent and rare opportunity to work with an articulated lorry and to train alongside the Police and Ambulance services. The main aim however was to convey a road safety message to the attending public and this was done very

The event was extremely well attended with over 4 thousand people from all over the country. The exercise was organised and coordinated by Station Manager Wayne Price - Station Commander of Carmarthen Fire Station who stated ‘Carmarthen are lucky to have such an

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imp ou saf eve con eve pa he

20/08/2009 11:33:00

S

ocial networking is everywhere its official.

It’s not uncommon to find adults, children, co-workers and even the elderly “logging on” to get a daily fix of their virtual communities. No matter what the interest social networking has got it covered.

Popular sites like MySpace, Facebook, BEBO and Twitter, seem to be rapidly taking over the world. Whether it’s the death of a pop star, or the overthrowing of a government, these sites are there providing second by second opinions and judgement on the important events of our time.

Not that this is a bad thing, these sites are great for bringing people together and sharing ideas, in fact never have we been so well connected. However, it is important to remember that social networking is not without its risks. Social networks can be used to make friends, find romance or even to market yourself or your business, but it is also important to remember that these sites can also be misused and we need to take care of our privacy and reputation. Think twice about the way you use social networks.

impressive venue in the town. As part of our proactive approach to Fire and Road safety, the station is working closely with event organisers at the showground to convey safety messages to the public at every opportunity and is keen to promote partnership working with other agencies to help achieve safer communities.’

The event was a big success for all concerned and a big thank you is extended to all who participated in particular Dyfed Powys Police, St. Johns Ambulance service, Hywel Mason and Gavin Griffiths, the event organisers and Jason Lovering from Walls recovery who provided the vehicles and the heavy rescue capability.

We need to talk by paul thomas

•

Never post your personal information, such as phone numbers, address, etc.

•

Be aware that information you give out could also put you at risk of victimisation.

People looking to harm you could use the information you post to identify you or gain your trust. They can also deceive you by pretending they know you.

•

Only add people as friends to your site if you know them in person.

•

Never meet in person with anyone you first “met” on a social networking site.

Some people may not be who they say they are.

•

Think before posting your photos.

Personal photos should not have revealing information, such as company names or locations. Look at the backgrounds of the pictures to make sure you are not giving out any identifying information without realising it.

•

Remember that posting information about your friends could put them at risk also.

Protect them by not posting any names, passwords, ages, phone numbers, or locations and refrain from making or posting plans and activities on your site.

Always remember what you post online is not private. Parents, teachers, coaches, and employers, may go online and find out things about you from your profile, or from someone else’s. Some people have lost jobs because of information that has been posted online. In short use your common sense, have fun but be safe.

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20/08/2009 11:33:03

PPE: The

BIG Decision!

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service is committed to providing a safe working environment for its staff.

The Service achieves this through the development and implementation of safe systems of work.

Due to the nature of the work carried out by our operational staff, an essential component of this safe system of work is the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The Service is planning to replace the existing PPE ensemble currently provided. The current PPE has provided effective protection for our firefighters for over 10 years. In this time the protection which can be afforded by PPE has developed to take full advantage of technical advances in both textiles and garment design.

These advances have been recognised with the development of new standards to ensure that all equipment will meet the needs of firefighters when operating in the extreme circumstances expected of them.

This updated standard demands that fire-fighting PPE be able to provide protection from radiant heat and convective heat transfer and also from the risk of contamination from blood borne pathogens. While this level of protection has been available for many years, recent research now

shows that Fire and Rescue Services need to be acutely aware of the dangers to operational staff resulting from a rise in core body temperature, especially over a protracted period. As such the impact of this needs to be managed through the use of effective PPE. ACFO Paul Bates said “The safety of our staff when responding to incidents is paramount and we are committed to buying the best PPE available to ensure our firefighters are protected to the highest standard.�

The three Services in Wales are taking a collaborative approach to the replacement of PPE. This will result in firefighters in Wales being outfitted to a uniformly high standard irrespective of their location. This collaborative approach will enable the Services to combine their purchasing power to obtain maximum benefit in the procurement of this essential piece of protective equipment.

As part of this process, manufacturers were invited to demonstrate their products to a group of FRS managers at Service Headquarters in Carmarthen during the first week of July.

Several manufacturers attended and gave presentations on the benefits of their respective ensembles. They provided samples which were then taken forward for wearer evaluation trials.

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These trials were hosted by our Service at the Earlswood training facility. Wearers from the three Services attended the trials which were held over a three day period. The wearers evaluated the PPE through a range of tests to gain feedback from the wearers on the performance of the garments, both in their functional capabilities and the level of protection afforded from heat.

The wearers were selected from operational and training staff from the three Services.

During the first two days the wearers performed the following functional tests: • • • •

Ladder pitching & climbing Equipment Carry Hose Running Compartment Fire Entry (Flashover Container)

In true “groundhog day” fashion the tests were repeated for each set of PPE. Each wearer was allocated an observer who followed a set evaluation criteria and recorded wearer comments throughout the exercises.

The wearers were recording the effectiveness of the garments both in the protection offered and also in the comfort. The manufacturers were confident that their garments had inherent capabilities which would enable the wearers to remain comfortable and safe when working for long periods in arduous conditions. The wearers evaluated this and recorded their comments accordingly.

On the final day of the evaluation the trial moved to the Morriston training facility, where further functional and hot wear trials were carried out.

These tests included using the garments in non fire scenarios such as RTCs and working at height. These elements of the work of the modern Fire Service demand as much of PPE as does firefighting activities.

FF Brian Jenkins from Swansea Central, who was one of the wearers involved, said “The standard of the fire kits we’re trialling is amazing, it’s brilliant to be part of these tests which will decide what fire kit we will be wearing in the future.”

The wearers contribution to this element of the evaluation was vital and their contribution will form a valuable tool in informing the decision making process on the way forward with PPE provision within the Service.

Chief Fire Officer Richard Smith said “The colleagues involved in the trials are going to play a big part in a very big decision. I want the absolute best protection available for our firefighters in Wales and these trials will help us to determine which this is.”

The feedback provided will now be used as part of the on-going process of identifying the preferred provider of replacement PPE. This process will involve the evaluation of managed care proposals put forward by the suppliers.

It is intended that the replacement PPE project will be completed as soon as possible, thus ensuring the safety of our firefighters well into the 21st century.

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20/08/2009 11:33:16

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otorcyclists remain one of the most vulnerable road user groups on our roads and ‘Operation Darwen’ is one in a series of events taking place throughout our service are which is designed to engage with motorcyclists and increase bike safe awareness.

On average only 1% of all vehicle registrations are motorcycles, but they are involved in excess of 20% of all collisions in Wales. In order to try and combat this appalling loss of life and injury Dyfed Powys Police devised Operation Darwen, which targets the anti social riding of motorcycles within our service area. Although this was originally designed as a police response, it is now part of a wider partnership, which sees MAWW personnel and the Safety Awareness Unit playing a pivotal role.

“

This event proved to be very popular with bikers who admitted to feeling ‘marginalised’ by society.

A large part of our locality acts as a magnet to leisure bikers from all over Wales and across the border. Bikers come to enjoy the well maintained rural roads which offer them the opportunity to put their skills to the test. However inevitably this puts some of them in conflict with the law. It was therefore decided to try and engage with bikers to inform them of the dangers our roads present, along with raising their awareness of the training and assessment courses available to them.

“

On average only 1% of all vehicle registrations are motorcycles, but they are involved in excess of 20% of all collisions in Wales.

Operation Darwen

In order to achieve this the team distributed copies of the Highways Agency DVD Great Roads Great Rides I and II and provided information on numerous schemes such as Bikesafe, Rospa Advanced Riders, IAM and others, whilst gathering information via a questionnaire.

Road Traffic Collision Reduction Officer, Wyn Cornelius said: “This event proved to be very popular with bikers who admitted to feeling ‘marginalised’ by society.

We received many requests to continue and expand the initiative and now consideration is being given to how we can improve future events.

The Police have already witnessed a reduction in speeding amongst motorcyclists; however the question is ‘Is this enough to stop motorcyclists being killed?’.

With many motorcycles capable of reaching in excess of 150 mph, the temptation for the minority is always going to be an issue; however by working with an ever expanding network of partners we will try and ensure our roads are safe for everyone.”

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The

first day of June saw the commencement of Whole-time Trainee Firefighter Foundation Development Course 01/09. The course is now just over half way through and the Trainees are being put through their paces on the Initial Breathing Apparatus module of the course.

As I write this article the Trainees are currently negotiating (or least attempting to!) a space only marginally larger than this page of Calon Tan, with full fire-fighting PPE on. I never realised grunting and groaning helped you to traverse the somewhat small orifice. But then again, I have always had to exhale every last possible breath out of my lungs in order to get through!

Previous weeks have seen the Trainees carry out basic ladder and pump drills and they are now building on these skills. The initial, somewhat varying degrees of success, have now started to be replaced with good solid drills with the trainees’ ability to work effectively as a team improving throughout the course. They have also completed their Level 1 Working at Height training.

The theoretical aspect continues alongside the practical elements of the course and the trainees have received input on various Standard Operating Procedures, covering a range of risks. To re-enforce the theoretical components of the course the trainees have had the opportunity to visit several establishments such as the DVLA (lifts and escalators input), the Swansea North Grid and Primary sub station (electricity) and the Irish Ferry (ship fire-fighting).

“The site visits have certainly helped me better understand the classroom sessions”, says one of the Trainees. When asked what, if anything sticks out in his mind from the first 8 weeks of the course so far, “…oh yes, yes, yes……being introduced to eternity!” For those of you not in the know, ‘Eternity’ is a 30 metre plus length of 70mm hose used for the Turntable ladder.

Over the coming weeks the Trainees will be back out on the yard taking part in combination drills which will now include BAs to further develop their skills. They will be receiving input on subjects such as hazardous materials, building construction first aid and RTC. By the time you read this article the Trainees will have completed their BA module and moved on to greater things. However they still have another 8 weeks ahead of them before they can attain the dizzy heights of “Fire-fighter in development”.

A further update will be given in the next Calon Tan by which time they will, hopefully, be fully ensconced in watch life.

making the

GRADE by Craig Flannery

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20/08/2009 11:33:20

f

Over the last eight years Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue Service has supported the provision of a search dog capability.

Initially this was instigated by the involvement and requirement for UK search dogs to be deployed overseas, under the auspice of the United Kingdom Search and Rescue Team.

The later attacks of September 11th and the formation of the New Dimensions Project then directed a need for a specialist canine search resource to enhance and compliment the Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) capability.

Three

DOGS by Arwel Hughes

and their

All three dogs when not on duty reside at home with their handlers and to a certain degree lead a family life.

The training of any search dog requires time and patience, basic search work is taught at a young age and is slowly increased to more complex scenarios in varying environments.

The dogs need to be people motivated whilst at the same time possessing a bold nature in order to work independently and occasionally remotely from the handler.

Their reward during work is always play oriented by retrieval of a favourite toy followed by appropriate praise to reaffirm their success.

In addition to search training the dogs are also trained in agility to enable them to negotiate the demanding areas they need to operate within. Environmental training is also vital and this teaches the dog to operate with confidence in most environments in which it may be required to work. Examples of this include being in the vicinity of noisy machinery, near livestock and includes working at height wearing a safety harness and being winched from helicopters.

MEN

Obviously the scenting ability of a dog is widely recognised in varying applications. In USAR the speed in which the dogs can detect live present scent has to be witnessed to appreciate how effective they really are.

In addition to collapsed structure work, the dogs are able to naturally search large open rural areas for missing persons including waterways to compliment boat searches or in dense woodland. A competent search dog will adapt itself to the environment and is able to cover a large area of ground very quickly. This method of searching can be employed during incidents where the Police may call upon the Fire and Rescue Service to assist in the search of vulnerable missing people.

This form of work also ensures that the dogs are kept in good physical condition and will enhance their ability to perform in difficult collapsed structure work.

The dogs train at a national level in addition to local training. National training exercises allow handlers from across the UK to demonstrate competence at various locations which include demolition sites, military bases and bespoke collapsed structure venues. Generally a handler would be expected to attend a national exercise once a month.

The commitment required in operating search dogs is onerous on the handler and can be intrusive upon family life. However the work is extremely rewarding in the sense that these animals are fun to work with and have the ability to save lives. A handler must be able to trust the dog’s instincts at all times during operational work, this bond is vital in ensuring a competent team of both handler and dog.

Search dogs are classed as a technical rescue resource meaning that they compliment other technical elements within USAR such as search cameras and listening devices.

The recent collaboration of both Mid & West Wales and South Wales USAR teams has ensured that the dogs sit firmly within the new team structure, as a valuable resource that may be called upon if needed.

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,

f

Currently supporting the USAR team there are three search dogs operating within Wales who are directly funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Fflam A Border Collie who is eight years of age and an operational dog for the past six years. Sourced initially as a young pup into the Service, he has developed well into a confident and consistent working dog who has operated across the UK on several large incidents, and in addition given local assistance to the Police in locating missing vulnerable people. Fflam is a veteran of many displays both locally and nationally including, the professional working dog demonstrations at Crufts. Fflam is handled by Watch Manager Arwel Hughes and is based at the USAR Training Centre in Earlswood.

Sparky A cross Labrador / Border Collie who is two and a half years old, Sparky is currently classed as a trainee who is ready and waiting his final grading to be licensed as a full search dog.

Sparky was sourced at roughly a year old; his previous owners found his high play drive and untiring nature a little too demanding when they approached the Fire Service with a view to rehoming him to a working environment, to which he has never looked back. During his short time within the service he has excelled in his training and certainly has a nose for the job. Sparky is handled by Watch Manager Roger Howells, also based at Earlswood.

Cymro The latest and youngest member of the team, Cymro is sixteen months old and was sourced from the Police. Another Border Collie who will hopefully work alongside and take over from Fflam in due course. An extremely playful young dog with an exceptional sociable temperament coupled with a tremendous drive. He appears to be performing well at present but has still a long way to go before making the grade.

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20/08/2009 11:33:21

On the Beach Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue service had a huge presence in this years Beach Rugby Wales event at Swansea Bay.

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20/08/2009 11:33:22

A

s well as entering a team in to this years tournament, we also hosted a BBQ which was run by our staff and crew members.

Warburtons Family Bakers and Ponty Butchers kindly donated bread and meat for the BBQ, which meant that all the proceeds from the day went towards the Fire Fighters Charity.

Crew and members of the Community Safety Team spend the day interacting with the public to increase awareness of our Free Home Fire Safety Checks, encouraging them to take up our offer of a free HFSC visit.

The service Play Engine went down a treat with all families interacting around our stand and with the crew members. Ospreys Rugby players spent some time in the afternoon flipping burgers and interacting with the public, supporting us with the HFSC campaign.

Last but certainly not least, we can’t let this moment pass without giving our very own rugby team a big well done for taking part.

Although they did not make the final, we saw some great passages of play and great team spirit. The team they were defeated by actually went on to win in the final!

A BIG well done to the rugby boys and a special thank you to everyone who helped out on the day, especially Warburtons Bakery and Ponty Butchers, because without their kind support we would not have been able to raise ÂŁ530 for the Firefighters Charity.

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20/08/2009 11:33:32

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ae’r Hydref yn rhoi llawer o gyfleoedd i ni i dynnu ffotograffau o’n gwlad ar ei gorau, gyda chymaint o olygfeydd godidog a lliwiau llachar i’w profi. Rydym ni eisiau gweld ardal Canolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru trwy eich lensys chi, a thrwy gyflwyno eich ffotograffau i gystadlu yn ein cystadleuaeth.

A

Y Brîff

The Brief

Y Wobr

The Prize

Sut i gystadlu

How to enter

Thema’r gystadleuaeth yw “Yr Hydref”, a dylai ddarparu amrywiaeth eang o bynciau i’ch ysbrydoli.

Cystadleuaeth Ffotograffau Photo Competition

Bydd enillydd y gystadleuaeth yn derbyn copi o’r ffotograff buddugol, wedi’i fframio’n broffesiynol.

Caiff pob cystadleuydd gyflwyno hyd at dri ffotograff i’r gystadleuaeth. Y dyddiad cau ar gyfer derbyn y ffotograffau yw Dydd Llun yr 2il o Dachwedd.

Dylid anfon pob ffotograff ar ffurf jpeg cydraniad uchel, i calontan@ mawwfire.gov.uk, gyda’r teitl “Cystadleuaeth Ffotograffau’r Hydref”. Bydd y canlyniadau’n cael eu cyhoeddi yn ‘Calon Tân’ y chwarter nesaf.

utumn provides many opportunities to capture our country at its best, with so many breathtaking views, and vivid colours to be experienced.

We want to see the Mid and West Wales area though your lenses, and by entering your photographs into our competition.

The theme of the competition is “Autumn” which should give everyone a wide range of subjects from which to draw their inspiration.

The winner of our competition will receive a professionally framed picture of the winning photo.

Each applicant may submit up to three photographs. The deadline for submissions is Monday 2nd of November. All submissions should be sent in high resolution jpeg format to calontan@mawwfire.gov. uk, with the subject heading “Autumn Photo competition”.

The results will be published in next quarters Calon Tân.

Anything to add?

Can you help make our magazine better?

• • • • •

Photography Articles Stories Opinions Anything

If you want to be a part of Calon Tân contact the Corporate Communications & Member Support Department on 01267 226866, ext 4466 or via email at calontan@mawwfire.gov.uk.

Drop us a line!

Unrhyw Beth i’w Ychwanegu?

A fedrwch chi helpu i wella ein Cylchgrawn?

• • • • •

Ffotograffiaeth Erthyglau Storïau Barnau Unrhyw Beth

Os ydych chi eisiau bod yn rhan o ‘Calon Tân’ cysylltwch â’r Adran Cyfathrebu Corfforaethol a Chynnal Aelodau ar 01267 226866, est 4466 neu anfonwch e-bost i calontan@mawwfire.gov.uk.

Cysylltwch â ni!

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20/08/2009 11:33:33

Here we are about to enter the second half of the year in what seems to be no time at all. As usual, the articles in this edition are varied, which I think is a reflection of the diverse nature of the Fire and Rescue Service today. There are articles covering operational and training activity, as well as our preventative work with young people and on the roads.

english

cymreag

Dyma ni ar fin cychwyn ar ail hanner y flwyddyn, mae amser yn hedfan. Fel arfer, mae’r erthyglau sy’n gynwysedig yn y rhifyn hwn yn amrywiol, a chredaf fod hyn yn adlewyrchiad o natur amrywiol y Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub heddiw. Mae yna erthyglau’n ymwneud â gweithgarwch gweithredol a hyfforddiant, yn ogystal â’n gwaith ataliol gyda phobl ifanc ac ar ein ffyrdd.

Deputy Chief in Brief

Mae’n amserol fod yr erthygl ar ein tîm USAR a’r cŵn achub yn cyd-daro gyda’r tîm USAR yn ymwneud yn weithgar â dau ddigwyddiad gweithredol ar ddechrau mis Awst. Hefyd, ceir diweddariad manwl ar y treialon PPE, y soniais amdanynt yn y rhifyn diwethaf, a’r gobaith yw y byddwn yn medru adrodd am y canlyniad yn rhifyn olaf y flwyddyn.

It is timely that the article on our USAR team and the search dogs coincides with the USAR team being actively involved in two operational incidents during the early part of August. There is also a detailed update on the PPE trials that I mentioned in the last edition, and we should hopefully be able to report on the outcome in our final edition of the year.

Yn olaf, mae’n dal i fy syfrdanu cyn lleied mae’r mwyafrif o bobl yn gwybod am yr amryw o wasanaethau a ddarparwn. Mae hyn yn awgrymu bod angen i ni barhau i “farchnata” ein hunain ychydig yn well, a byddwn yn parhau i wneud hyn mewn sawl gwahanol ffordd. I’r diben hwn, hoffwn fynegi fy ngwerthfawrogiad i chwaraewyr y Gweilch, am eu cefnogaeth gynyddol wrth hybu a chreu ymwybyddiaeth o’r holl waith gweithredol ac ataliol da a wnawn yn y gymuned, ac i’r gymuned.

However, the thing that stands out most to me is the number of people-related articles, and the excellent work that individuals and groups continue to undertake for charitable causes, from the Firefighters Charity to the Children of Chernobyl.

Cofion Philip Coleman

Finally, it still surprises me at how little the majority of people appear to know about the range of services we provide. This suggests that we still need to “market” ourselves a little better, and we continue to do this in a number of different ways. To this end I would like to express my appreciation to players from the Ospreys for their growing support in promoting and raising awareness of all the good operational and prevention work we do in and for the community.

Regards Philip Coleman

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