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South Wales Argus
4 days ago
- South Wales Argus
Cwmbran: Man charged with causing death by dangerous driving
Jack Llewellyn, 25, is accused of being responsible for the death of Nicholas Page following a collision on Greenforge Way in Cwmbran two years ago. It follows an incident at around 4.10pm on the afternoon of Thursday, March 30, 2023 while the defendant was driving a Skoda Octavia. The 30-year-old Mr Page was a passenger in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor. The crash happened between the Octavia and a silver Ford Focus. Llewellyn, of Park Crescent, Abergavenny is also alleged to have caused serious injury to a separate alleged victim. The defendant is due to appear at Newport Magistrates' Court on Thursday, May 29. Gwent Police officers had attended the collision along with the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Wales Air Ambulance and Welsh Ambulance Service.
South Wales Argus
22-05-2025
- General
- South Wales Argus
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service responds to report
That's the view of Fin Monahan, chief fire officer at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said after His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) shared their report into the findings of an inspection they carried out of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service in November 2024. This is the first time this has been done in Wales, and used the HMICFRS inspection regime applied elsewhere in the UK. Addressing colleagues yesterday, Mr Monahan said: 'The report is a hard read. 'The main areas for us to improve in the report are understanding the risk of fire and other emergencies and protecting the public through fire regulations. 'We appreciate the feedback from colleagues that informed the report, and we thank the inspection team for the independent clarity they have given across 11 areas covering efficiency, effectiveness and people. 'I welcome this report, this is the first time we have been exposed to this deep inspection regime. Let's remember a lot of time has elapsed since the inspection. It began before my arrival and concluded during my second week in the Service; it is a snapshot in time from six months ago. Much has changed since then. 'I would like to reassure you. We have a robust plan for dealing with these recommendations in the form of our overarching strategy, which is a first for this service. It has 60 work strands and now guides the strategic plan and all other activities in this Service. We have already moved out on much of this work.' The Commissioners for South Wales FRA said they welcomed the report. 'This work builds on the earlier reports by the Chief Fire and Rescue Advisor to the Welsh government and the Fenella Morris KC review. 'This report provides a solid assessment of performance against a comprehensive range of factors that are commonly assessed against in the rest of the UK Fire and Rescue Services. We are pleased that, since the inspection in late 2024 that a considerable amount of progress has been made in addressing the recommendations in the report. 'One of the commissioners, Carl Foulkes, chairs the service improvement board which continues to monitor performance on progress and delivery every six weeks. 'We look forward to HMICFRS's revisit in the next 12-18 months and we are confident in the rate and level of progress which is being made in delivering those outcomes.' Further background information on progress on improvements being delivered is available on South Wales Fire and Rescue.
Wales Online
22-05-2025
- General
- Wales Online
Serious concerns about whether Welsh fire service can keep people safe
Serious concerns about whether Welsh fire service can keep people safe A review of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has found a number of causes for concern There are serious concerns about whether South Wales Fire and Rescue Service can keep people safe, an independent report has found. The most at risk are not always prioritised, it was found, and members of the public, including vulnerable people, may not be getting the support they need. The chief inspector of fire and rescue services has found a range of issues in the force from planning to personnel and risks to both staff and the public. The inspector found checks have been made at just 4.9% of the most high-risk premises in its area. Examples include a hotel that had not been inspected for risks in 10 years and a care home which had been operating for five years without any inspection. The service hadn't carried out any fire safety activity in relation to industrial premises where someone had previously died in a fire. In January 2024 there was an independent review of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, which was damning in its findings of sexism and misogyny. You can read that report here. The Welsh Government then removed the elected members of the board and appointed four commissioners. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here. In July they asked for a full review by HM Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services. In the report published on Thursday inspector Roy Wilsher said: "Sadly I have concerns about the service's performance in keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks. In particular I have concerns about the effectiveness of its strategies for making sure its activities consistently identify, prioritise, and mitigate risks for the public. Article continues below "I am also concerned that it doesn't have effective systems and processes in place to gather and record relevant and up‑to‑date risk information to help protect firefighters, the public, and property during emergencies." He has therefore taken the step of reporting a number of "causes for concern" which comes if it is determined there is a "serious, critical, or systemic shortcoming in a service's practice, policy or performance". What the review was tasked with looking at The operational service it provides to the public including the effectiveness of its prevention, protection, and response activities The service's efficiency including how well it provides value for money, allocates resources to match risk, and collaborates with other emergency services How well the service looks after its people including promoting service values and culture, training its staff, and making sure they have the skills they need, ensuring fairness and promoting What it found The length of time to get to incidents was up in 2022-23 compared to the year before Information for firefighters responding to incidents at high-risk, high-rise buildings was "limited, inaccurate, or out of date" The service hasn't evaluated its mix of crewing and duty systems for several years nor has it reviewed its response cover and can't make sure it deploys its fire engines and response staff to manage risk efficiently As of March 31, 2024, it had audited only 4.9% of the high-risk premises in its area The service needs to improve the availability of its on-call resources It doesn't consistently meet its statutory responsibility to comment on fire safety arrangements at new and altered buildings After a fire the service didn't routinely carry out post-incident fire safety inspections or audits A review of its fire cover arrangements hasn't been carried out since 2011 The service doesn't have a current risk-based inspection programme Not all 47 fire stations had community risk management plans in place In 2023-24 the service didn't attend 21.9% of automatic fire alarms Its financial plans aren't aligned with its strategic plan or departmental plans, where they exist, such as those for fleet and IT The service needs to be more effective in tackling bullying, harassment, and discrimination As a result of the cause of concern finding a number of recommendations are made. The first finding is that the service needs an up-to-date risk assessment and to "assure itself that its working practices clearly support its strategic aims". It also finds there needs to be an "effective system and process to gather and record relevant and up-to-date risk information to help protect firefighters, the public, and property during emergencies". The service doesn't have a current risk-based inspection programme meaning no clear view of the level of activity it needs in order to inspect, regulate, and enforce fire safety or how it should prioritise its day-to-day activities. The inspector found that despite all 47 fire stations needing annual community risk management plans they aren't all in place and are inconsistent when they are. Various teams in the service are involved in maintaining risk information but the inspector said "there is a lack of central oversight, which means it isn't clear how quickly the service reviews risk information". He added: "We also found little evidence of the service systematically carrying out any quality assurance. Some of the information we reviewed was limited, inaccurate, or out of date." The service told the inspector it hadn't carried out a review of its fire cover arrangements since 2011. "This means the service can't be sure that its planning assumptions, risk assessments, and fire cover arrangements are up to date, effective, and efficient," the report reads. "There is an organisational learning process in place but the service doesn't consistently follow it. We found little evidence that the service examined outcomes and used them to improve its operational response or that it always shared those outcomes across the service. "We found evidence that staff were involved in exercises to familiarise themselves with risk in their station area but these exercises weren't routinely structured and they weren't consistent throughout the service," it adds. It also found risk registers weren't specific to departments and "these included risks relating to staff health and wellbeing, and postal address updates used to underpin various key information systems". It added: "Some risks, such as staff retention, aren't listed in the registers." The report says that detail in some of the risk registers was unclear including the response to terror attacks and Covid-19. Another finding was that the service doesn't always prioritise those most at risk and different teams didn't know who was doing what, leaving vulnerable people at risk. Data provided by the service shows that as at March 31, 2024, it had audited 4.9% of the high-risk premises in its area (341 out of 6,932) and it doesn't have an automated system to prioritise inspections based on risk. "The service may be missing some high-risk premises that it needs to audit," the report warned. "We found that after a fire the service didn't routinely carry out post-incident fire safety inspections or couldn't find any records associated with three properties in which fires had occurred since 2022." The service doesn't always respond to building consultations on time. This means it doesn't consistently meet its statutory responsibility to comment on fire safety arrangements at new and altered buildings. At the time of the inspection the service attended all automatic fire alarms unless a responsible person or the alarm receiving centre confirmed that there was no fire and in In 2023-24, the service didn't attend 21.9% of automatic fire alarms. They attended 8,874 false alarms meaning they could not respond to genuine incidents. The service has said it is looking for a new policy about "unwanted signals". In 2022-23 the service's average response time to primary fires was 10 minutes and 59 seconds., which was up from 10 minutes and 32 seconds the year before. "When we analysed a sample of call logs we found some evidence of calls lasting a long time with no rationale for why this happened," the report said. It was also found information for firefighters responding to incidents at high-risk high-rise buildings "was limited, inaccurate, or out of date". "We also found that risk information about buildings was available to fire control staff on the command and control system. However it doesn't include information such as internal floor plans or tactical plans," the report reads. While it was found they had looked at risks and threats in its area the service needs to improve the way it communicates information about the significant risks in neighbouring fire and rescue services, which it might ask staff to respond to in an emergency In terms of some of the most alarming findings of the original review the inspector said service staff had limited confidence in how well it can deal with cases of bullying, harassment, or discrimination as well as grievances and discipline. It also needs to increase diversity in its workforce, the inspector said. In response to the report chief fire officer Fin Monahan said: "The report is a hard read. The main areas for us to improve in the report are understanding the risk of fire and other emergencies and protecting the public through fire regulations. Article continues below "We appreciate the feedback from colleagues that informed the report and we thank the inspection team for the independent clarity they have given across 11 areas covering efficiency, effectiveness, and people. 'I welcome this report – this is the first time we have been exposed to this deep inspection regime. Let's remember a lot of time has elapsed since the inspection. It began before my arrival and concluded during my second week in the service – it is a snapshot in time from six months ago. Much has changed since then. 'I would like to reassure you. We have a robust plan for dealing with these recommendations in the form of our overarching strategy, which is a first for this service. It has 60 work strands and now guides the strategic plan and all other activities in this service. We have already moved out on much of this work.'
ITV News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Concerns raised over South Wales Fire's 'performance in keeping people safe', inspection finds
There are serious concerns about South Wales Fire and Rescue Service's "performance in keeping people safe" and its ability to "mitigate risks for the public", a new inspection report has found. An inspection by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFR), which took place between July and November 2024, found the service's record-keeping process means it cannot effectively "help protect firefighters, the public and property during emergencies". "The service doesn't always prioritise those most at risk", the report said. The service said it already has "an action plan in place" to address the problems identified in the report, adding that major changes had been made to the service since the inspection took place. HMICFR usually only assesses fire services in England, but following a series of scandals at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, the four Welsh Government-appointed commissioners overseeing the service requested the inspection to "get a benchmark for future improvement". In January 2024, a separate report was published by Fenella Morris KC after ITV reported allegations of sexual assault at the service. That report included details of misogyny, racism and homophobia and led to the Chief Fire Officer Huw Jakeway resigning. An interim fire chief was appointed, but soon after taking up the role, ITV learned he was the subject of an employment tribunal, accused of bullying. Stuart Millington denied the allegation and has faced no further action. In November, Mr Millington was replaced by the current Chief Fire Officer, Finn Monahan. Mr Monahan said he would "completely change the culture". This latest inspection took place between July and November 2024, with inspectors assessing a variety of aspects in the service, including fire prevention and protection, community fire safety and culture and values. The HMICFR report author said: "Sadly, I have concerns about the service's performance in keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks. "In particular, I have concerns about the effectiveness of its strategies for making sure its activities consistently identify, prioritise and mitigate risks for the public. "I am also concerned that it doesn't have effective systems and processes in place to gather and record relevant and up‑to‑date risk information to help protect firefighters, the public and property during emergencies." Community fire safety was found to be "inconsistently effective at identifying local risks and priorities". "We also found that the community safety team didn't always know about and wasn't always involved in the prevention activities that station staff carry out", the report author said. The service was also criticised for its culture and values. "The service needs to be more effective in tackling bullying, harassment and discrimination. In our staff survey, 17 per cent of respondents told us they had felt bullied or harassed at work in the past 12 months." South Wales Fire and Rescue Service told ITV News that work had been undertaken since the inspection to address the issues raised. In a statement, the service said: "A lot has already been achieved, and we are heading in the right direction. "This journey is more than ticking off a checklist, we are moving forward, involving and engaging colleagues and doing things properly so we have all contributed to the improvements for our future. " According to HMICFR guidelines, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service now has 28 days to "develop an action plan" to address the issues identified within the report.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
E-bike batteries pose 'fastest growing' fire risk
Lithium batteries present the "fastest growing" risk of fires, a Welsh fire and rescue service has said. The batteries, and specifically lithium-ion batteries, are used to power a number of devices including e-bikes and scooters and their chargers, mobile phones, laptops and e-vapes. Campaigning charity Electrical Safety First said fires caused by substandard e-scooter and e-bike batteries were "tearing through homes" and want stricter rules to be introduced around their sale to reduce the risk. The UK government said it was updating product safety laws around the batteries to help keep people safe and taking action at ports and borders to stop unsafe products reaching consumers. Why are modified e-bikes causing house fires? E-bike battery fire destroys family home 'An e-bike fire killed my sister in her home' The warning comes after seven people were taken to hospital earlier this month when a house fire in Cardiff was started by a lithium-ion battery-powered scooter. "The primary risk around these scooters is actually lithium-ion batteries and the thermal runaway that can happen from that," Marc Davies, home safety manager from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS), said. A thermal runaway is an accelerating increase in temperature caused by chemical reactions which can lead to fire, explosion and "unpredictable fire behaviour", according to the UK's National Fire Chiefs Council. According to South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, there were 136 fires involving lithium-ion batteries in south Wales from April 2020 to March 2025, with 100 recorded in the last two years. Of those reported fires over the last five years: 30 people were injured with 24 of these occurring in the last two years 49 were accidental dwelling fires, with 34 of these occurring in the last two years. One of these incidents led to a fatality linked to a fire involving a fault in a battery charger. Of the 136 incidents, 39 involved an e-scooter or an e-bike with 25 of these incidents occurring in the last two years. These led to 13 people being injured, 10 of which occurred in the last two years. There were 16 accident dwelling fires in south Wales which involved an e-scooter or an e-bike with 10 of these occurring in the last two years. These incidents led to five people injured with three of these occurring in the last two years In mid and west Wales, there were 26 incidents involving lithium batteries from 1 April 2020 to 5 May 2025. Four of these incidents involved e-bikes while one involved an e-scooter. Out of the 26 incidents, three people were injured. In north Wales there were 62 incidents from April 2022 to the end of February 2025. During that time seven fires involved an e-bike and four involved an e-scooter, leading to nine injuries. A spokesperson from Electrical Safety First, a charity which aims to reduce deaths and injuries caused by electricity in UK homes, said fires caused by substandard e-scooter and e-bike batteries were "tearing through homes", putting lives at risk and causing "immense" damage to property. "These fires are especially dangerous due to the huge amount of energy that is released if a fully charged e-scooter or e-bike battery fails, triggering a process called thermal runaway which is almost impossible to stop once it has started," they said. The charity is now urging the UK government to use the new product regulation and metrology bill to introduce stricter rules around the sale of batteries for e-bikes and e-scooters to reduce the risk of a fire. A department for business and trade spokesperson said it took the risk of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, including those linked to e-bikes and e-scooters, "very seriously". "That's why we launched our 'Buy Safe, Be Safe' campaign to raise awareness of this important issue," they said. "We are also updating our product safety laws to help keep the public safe, as well as taking action at ports and borders to stop unsafe or non-compliant products from reaching consumers." April's e-scooter blaze in Cardiff is not the only recent fire caused by an lithium-ion battery. A year earlier in March 2024, SWFRS warned of the dangers that can be posed by lithium-ion batteries after a fire gutted a family home in Newbridge, Caerphilly county. The family who lived at the house managed to escape unharmed, along with their four dogs. Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Mr Davies of SWFRS said people should do their research and buy devices, batteries and chargers from reputable retailers. Otherwise there is a risk they can "overheat, catch fire and almost lead to a firework-like explosion", he said. He said other risk factors for e-scooters included wear and tear caused by kerbs, speed bumps and water ingress, having appropriate chargers and the rise of universal chargers. He warned against buying counterfeit goods as they do not meet safety standards. "You can't go wrong with ensuring something is British or UK standard, or European CE certification, and high street versus online have their own set of rules," he said. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is also urging people to dispose of lithium-ion batteries safely following several fires believed to have been caused by incorrectly discarded batteries. If damaged or crushed, they can release flammable electrolytes, leading to intense fires at waste sites. Waste fires release harmful gases, and the resulting hazardous smoke can pose serious risks to both humans and the environment, NRW said. Residues from burnt waste can also pollute surface and groundwater, leading to long-term land contamination. Nia Brunning, waste regulation and enforcement team leader at NRW, said such fires not only damage the environment "but also put local communities and emergency services at risk". E-scooter caused fire that put seven in hospital Exploding karaoke machine destroys home in fire E-bike battery warning after fire guts home
