Changes to Road Rescue Response

Geoff Sallis

(Assistant Chief Fire Officer)

Nathan Travis(Area Manager, Community Risk Reduction)

Benefits across county:Providing more firefighters at every road traffic collision (RTC)

Providing better equipment for firefighters at RTCs

Providing a more effective response for RTCs

Fire appliance (pump)

Rescue appliance

Fire & Rescue appliances

Current response to an RTC

Call comes in to our Control Room and we mobilise the closest fire appliance with five firefighters, and the closest rescue appliance with two firefighters from Gloucester, Cheltenham or Stroud

What are we proposing for Stroud Fire Station?Not to replace the Rescue Appliance that has come to the end of its service, but use the funding (£250k) to enhance RTC equipment in the county

Modify one of the Pumps as a Pump/Rescue appliance with enhanced RTC equipment

Redeploy firefighters that currently staff the Rescue Appliance across the Service

How will this work for an RTC incident in Stroud?The pump/rescue appliance and crew of five will respond immediately to the RTC

An additional pump and crew of 5/6 will respond five minutes after the pump/rescue

Overall improved response compared to today - 10+ firefighters rather than seven

What does this mean for the residents of Stroud DistrictA more effective response to RTCs

Increased number of firefighters skilled to deal with RTCs

Updated and better equipment being used at RTCs

Why Do We Need To Change? We have already identified a

main area of focus in our Integrated Risk

Management Plan (2009-2012):

Improving our response to RTCs countywide

Improving response to RTCs countywide:Today, successful rescues from RTCs are not just about cutting people out of cars – they are also about maintaining people’s vital signs (e.g. cardio-vascular, respiratory) and preventing further injury (e.g. spinal) which is more labour-intensive

Trials in other areasNorth Cotswolds, Tewkesbury and Forest of Dean - enhanced rescue equipment carried on pump/rescue

Increased number of firefighters (with more skills and more equipment) responding to RTC’s

The Future?Developing this approach across the county (Cirencester)

Decreasing Fire Calls (prevention) – allows improved response to incidents

Continue to improve the service in a challenging economic climate

Your Views?

To view this presentation again and submit your views and comments online please visit

www.glosfire.gov.uk/stroud