Latest news with #ColinBrown
The National
14-05-2025
- Climate
- The National
Fire crews spend fifth day tackling major forest blaze
At the height of the incident, more than 50 firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze in woodland near Fauldhouse. A helicopter was also used to drop water onto the burning trees and moorland. Firefighters were called to the scene at 11.43am on Saturday. READ MORE: NC500 named least electric vehicle-friendly road trip in UK-wide study On Wednesday morning, a Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) spokesperson confirmed that two appliances remained at the scene. People living nearby have been urged to keep their windows and doors closed due to the smoke. An SFRS spokesperson said on Wednesday at around 7.30am: 'There are still sporadic hotspots, so we still have crews in attendance fighting it.' The fire service had earlier warned of an 'extreme' risk of wildfires across mainland Scotland due to the warm, dry weather, which remained in place until May 12. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said the incident highlighted the need to reverse cuts to fire and rescue services. Colin Brown, FBU executive member for Scotland, previously said: 'Firefighters from across central Scotland have been in attendance at this major wildfire. 'They have worked in searing temperatures to try to control its spread and protect the public and nearby property. 'Their commitment and skill has ensured that the fire didn't spread and cause much further damage or loss of life. 'Sadly, events like this are likely to be more frequent in future as a result of global warming. 'If communities are to be protected we need to reverse the cuts to the fire and rescue service that has resulted in 1200 jobs lost over the last decade, and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Scottish Government need to withdraw their proposals to close fire stations and cut yet more fire appliances from community fire stations. 'Representatives from the FBU will be making these points very forcibly to the minister for victims and community safety Siobhan Brown when we meet her this week.' The Scottish Greens said the fire, as well as the extreme wildfire warnings issued for May 9-12, signalled the country was on the front line of the climate crisis. MSP Ariane Burgess previously said: 'We aren't even in the height of our summer yet and we are already seeing our woodlands burning and warnings in place across much of the country. 'We should all be grateful to the firefighters who are risking their lives and putting their safety on the line to protect us and our communities. 'It's not just the immediate threats they face, but also the lifelong increased health risks from exposure to smoke and toxic substances. 'We need to do everything we can to ensure that they are well supported and properly equipped for the growing threats that we face from increasing temperatures.' READ MORE: Scotland sees warmest day of year as thunderstorms lash parts of England She added: 'Scotland is blessed with amazing and iconic landscapes that attract visitors from across the world. 'But they are also homes and places where people live and work, and, with our climate changing around us, they are being put at growing risk and thrust on to the front line of the climate crisis.' Deputy assistant chief officer Kenny Barbour, of the SFRS, previously said: 'We are currently in the midst of a service delivery review, which aims to ensure that our resources – our staff, stations and appliances – are matched to operational risk and demand across Scotland. 'We have now concluded an options appraisal and development process and a number of change options have been recommended to progress to public consultation in the summer. This remains subject to final approval by the SFRS Board. 'Any permanent changes to our station footprint or how we deliver our services will only come after we have sought views from the public and a final decision has been made by the SFRS Board.'
Scotsman
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Scotsman
West Lothian wildfire 'exposes folly of fire service cuts' says Fire Brigades Union
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now The wildfire affecting a huge area of forestry in West Lothian has exposed the folly of cuts to community fire and rescue services across Scotland, according to the union representing Scotland's firefighters. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Over the weekend 50 firefighters battled a blaze that affected 40,000 square metres of woodland near Fauldhouse. Fire crews were called to the scene at 11.43am on Saturday and worked all weekend to contain the fire with nine fire appliances and a specialist helicopter deployed to drop water on the burning trees and moorland. People living nearby were urged to keep their windows and doors closed due to the smoke. A helicopter drops water on woodland near Fauldhouse where fire crews have been dealing with a wildfire for the past three days. Picture: Jeff| Getty Images Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad At its peak it was reported that the fire covered an area the equivalent to five and a half football pitches. And three days on from the start of the fire, three appliances remain at the scene. The Fire Brigades Union criticised the large loss of jobs in the fire service over the past 10 years and called for a halt to further cuts. Colin Brown, FBU executive member for Scotland, said: 'Firefighters from across central Scotland have been in attendance at this major wildfire. They have worked in searing temperatures to try to control its spread and protect the public and nearby property. Their commitment and skill has ensured that the fire didn't spread and cause much further damage or loss of life. 'Sadly events like this are likely to be more frequent in future as a result of global warming. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'If communities are to be protected we need to reverse the cuts to the fire and rescue service that has resulted in 1200 jobs lost over the last decade, and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Scottish Government need to withdraw their proposals to close fire stations and cut yet more fire appliances from community fire stations. 'Representatives from the FBU will be making these points very forcibly to the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, Siobhan Brown when we meet her this week.'
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Here are our 15 snubs for the 2025 Tennessee Mr. Basketball finalists list
The 2024-25 TSSAA Mr. Basketball finalists were announced this week, with three players being selected from each Tennessee high school classification. The Mr. and Miss Basketball Awards winners will be announced at MTSU's Tucker Theater on March 18. Of course, not every top player could make the final group. Here's our list of players that should have been heavily considered for Mr. Basketball honors. Colin Brown, Tennessee: Class 3A basically had two spots already locked in with Upperman's Ty Cobb and Stone Memorial's Cade Capps having insane seasons. Brown could have made it in a normal year with his numbers. He's averaging 25 points, 2.2 rebounds, three assists and 3.1 steals. More: Meet the Tennessee Mr. and Miss Basketball finalists for 2025 TSSAA basketball award Cayman Camfield, Wayne County: Camfield has been a crucial part of Wayne County's resurgence in the past two years in Class 1A. He's averaging 20.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals. Carson Chandler, Christian Brothers: The senior was on the outside looking in for DII-AA. He's averaging 21.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 41% from 3-point range. Jack Cupples, Riverside: The Class 2A list was a tough one to make. Cupples is averaging 23.9 points and 9.8 rebounds for the Panthers as a sophomore. Tacarien Freeman, Fayette Ware: The 6-foot guard has led Fayette Ware to a 20-win season in 3A and is averaging 16 points, 5.2 rebounds, five assists and two steals. Birman Jenkins, Jackson Christian: The 6-foot-5 forward didn't make the list in DII-A but has helped Jackson Christian to a 20-win season while averaging 20.3 points, 6.5 rebounds with seven double-doubles this season. Aaron Layne, Kingston: Layne was surprisingly left off the 2A finalist list, averaging 24.3 points and eight rebounds for the Yellowjackets. Will McCrary, Jackson County: Another player left out of a stacked Class 2A list, McCrary has led Jackson County to a No. 5 spot in the 2A statewide rankings. He is shooting 56% from the field and averaging 21.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. More: TSSAA basketball brackets: District tournament schedule, scores for Nashville area More: Tennessee high school basketball boys statewide rankings: Which are latest top TSSAA teams in Week 12? Collin O'Neal, MBA: It's not often a Division I signee gets left out, but O'Neal didn't make the DII-AA list. He's a Furman signee averaging 20 points, six rebounds and three assists while shooting 53% from the field and 41% from three for the 21-5 Big Red. Cutter Sisk, Beech: Sisk has been a dominant post player for the Bucs, but it wasn't enough to make the Class 4A list. He's averaging 22.3 points while shooting 75% from the field. He also averages 10.6 rebounds and two blocks. Nick Steen, Knoxville Fulton: Steen is in the same boat as others in Class 3A. He didn't make the list despite being dominant in the post for Jody Wright's team, averaging 20.6 points and 10.6 rebounds. Tate Surber, McKenzie: The 6-3 forward is shooing close to 60% from the field while averaging 24.8 points and 8.2 rebounds for the 1A Rebels. Trey Vann, Jellico: Class 1A had a deep group, but Vann is averaging 21.6 points, six rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 steals. Chris Washington, Providence Christian: You don't often see a four-star forward ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the state in the 2026 class miss these kinds of lists. The 6-foot-7 Washington is averaging 15 points and eight rebounds, and has 21 steals and 20 blocks this season. His PCA teammate Preston Wade had better numbers and made the list — but should there have been room for both of them in DII-A? Greyson Williams, BGA: He had to have been on the cusp of making the DII-A list. Williams is averaging 25 points on 52% shooting from the field and 38% from three. He also averages five rebounds and four assists. Reach sports writer Tyler Palmateer at tpalmateer@ and on the X platform, formerly Twitter, @tpalmateer83. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TSSAA basketball: Mr. Basketball snubs for 2025 Tennessee high school season
