By Adam Ferris

Arson Reduction Team

The Avon and Somerset Arson Reduction Team is a partnership between Avon Fire & Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, which aims to reduce arson through a variety of schemes and initiatives. The centres provide a space to host meetings, IT facilities and internet access, all free of charge to local community groups. While making use of our centres we hope people will take the opportunity to learn about fire safety, and pass on information to family and friends.

Community Safety Centres

Fire hydrants

There are around 20,000 fire hydrants in our service area, and they play an important role in protecting our communities. Fire hydrants provide us with a mains water supply that we can use in the event of a fire. We are committed to working with community to provide practical advice and education to prevent fires starting in the first place. One of the ways we do this is through the Home Fire Safety Visit service which we offer to the most vulnerable people in our community.

Home Fire Safety Visits

School visits

In the UK an average of 34 children under the age of 11 are killed in fires in the every year and around 1,200 are injured. We are committed to providing fire safety education to young people to help them stay safe. One of the ways we do this is by visiting schools in the area to deliver lessons to young people about the dangers of playing with fire, hoax calls and fire safety in the home.

South West Command Development Centre

The centre's main functions are command training, assessment, and personal development, visual and audio production. It can also be used as a conference centre.

Tuesday, 17 April 2012 17:40 A shed on remote agricultural land has been destroyed by fire. Fire-fighters from Yate Fire Station, along with a crew from Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service, were sent following reports of the blaze. Once on scene fire-fighters found a well developed blaze in the wooden building which measured roughly 20 metres by 20 metres. The building appeared to be out of regular use, but contained a range of items including a number of cylinders. Fire crews used fixed water jets to cool the cylinders to reduce the risk of an explosion. Once cooled the cylinders were found to be empty. Sunday, 15 April 2012 06:21 Three fire engines and a safety boat from Bath Fire Station were called to the incident early on Sunday morning. The vessel was moored opposite Parade Gardens between Pulteney Bridge and Pulteney Weir. A smaller boat tied alongside the affected vessel was also damaged by the fire. Sadly one man died at the scene and another was taken to hospital with burns and smoke inhalation.

The modern day Fire Brigade has evolved following many years of development and improvements since almost pre-history. From the time man discovered fire, he has also battled to control the flames. The first organised fire fighting is believed to have originated in the UK during the Roman invasion in AD43. Even then, fighting fires was often limited to nothing better than buckets of water or simple syringes that squirted water at the fire. Once the Romans left, fire fighting took a backward step as communities fell into decline. A major change in the way fires were fought came into being in the mid 1850s when the first reliable steam powered appliances were adopted by brigades. These appliances replaced the manual engines and allowed a far great quantity of water to be to be directed onto a fire. These Steam powered appliances were only to last slightly longer than 50 years due to the introduction of the internal combustion engine in the early 1900s.

Alexandra Palace 1980

Bishopsgate Goods Depot Fire At 06.20 on the morning of Saturday 5th December 1964 the London Fire Brigade received the first of many calls to a fire at Bishopsgate Goods Depot, in Shoreditch High Street, London E1.

The Brighton Bombing 12th October 1984 In October 1984 in was the venue for the Conservative Party Conference. At 02.54 in the early hours of October 12th 1984 a huge blast occurred when a bomb, planted by the terrorist group, the IRA, exploded. This was an attempt by the IRA to wipe out the senior members of the UK Government.

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