Latest news with #WestYorkshireFireAuthority
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
Tamper-proof vapes to curb deliberate prison fires
Prisons are introducing tamper-proof vapes to cut down on arson incidents, a fire authority meeting has heard. Firefighters were called to dozens of blazes in West Yorkshire prisons in the past 12 months, with fire bosses claiming "inventive" prisoners were using vapes to start fires so they could move cells. Bosses from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue told councillors work was being done by the prison service to tackle the issue. Scott Donegan, area manager with responsibility for prevention and response, said: "It is often vapes that are used to set fires." Mr Donegan said as well as rolling out tamper proof vapes, the prison service was also changing the type of kettles provided to prisoners as these were also being used to start fires. He added: "Some people in prisons are an inventive bunch." The meeting of the West Yorkshire Fire Authority's Community Safety Committee is held quarterly by councillors from across West Yorkshire. Friday's meeting was told there had been 119 deliberately set fires in secure accommodation in the past year, with around two thirds in West Yorkshire's prisons, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Councillors were told the prison service was looking to bring prosecutions against people starting fires in their cells, but Mr Donegan said that came with its own issues. He said: "With the court backlog, a prisoner might get released and then appear in court for setting fire to his prison cell 18 months later." Wakefield councillor Charlie Keith said: "After the riots last year there were a lot of people in prison who feel they shouldn't be there. "I wonder if some of these figures are because people in for the riots are lighting fires as a kind of protest?" But Mr Donegan said: "Sometimes people want to move prison or cell for their own security, they might have a drug debt. There might also be mental health issues." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Rise in use of vape devices to start prison fires Local Democracy Reporting Service
BBC News
12-04-2025
- BBC News
Tamper-proof vapes to curb deliberate West Yorkshire prison fires
Prisons are introducing tamper-proof vapes to cut down on arson incidents, a fire authority meeting has were called to dozens of blazes in West Yorkshire prisons in the past 12 months, with fire bosses claiming "inventive" prisoners were using vapes to start fires so they could move from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue told councillors work was being done by the prison service to tackle the Donegan, area manager with responsibility for prevention and response, said: "It is often vapes that are used to set fires." Mr Donegan said as well as rolling out tamper proof vapes, the prison service was also changing the type of kettles provided to prisoners as these were also being used to start added: "Some people in prisons are an inventive bunch." Prisoners prosecuted The meeting of the West Yorkshire Fire Authority's Community Safety Committee is held quarterly by councillors from across West meeting was told there had been 119 deliberately set fires in secure accommodation in the past year, with around two thirds in West Yorkshire's prisons, according to the Local Democracy Reporting were told the prison service was looking to bring prosecutions against people starting fires in their cells, but Mr Donegan said that came with its own said: "With the court backlog, a prisoner might get released and then appear in court for setting fire to his prison cell 18 months later."Wakefield councillor Charlie Keith said: "After the riots last year there were a lot of people in prison who feel they shouldn't be there. "I wonder if some of these figures are because people in for the riots are lighting fires as a kind of protest?"But Mr Donegan said: "Sometimes people want to move prison or cell for their own security, they might have a drug debt. There might also be mental health issues." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fire service to donate engines to Ukraine
Four fire engines from West Yorkshire will be donated to Ukraine to help deal with the devastation caused by the Russian invasion. Councillors from across West Yorkshire agreed to donate the vehicles at a meeting of West Yorkshire Fire Authority on Thursday. A further two engines will be sent to UK charities that support veterans. A report to members said the Ukraine State Emergency Service had been "under significant pressure since the current conflict began in February 2022". The report said 396 fire stations and 1,676 fire vehicles had been destroyed in the war-torn country since the invasion. Ninety-one 91 firefighters had been killed and a further 349 injured. "In the same period, the work of Ukrainian firefighters has grown significantly in response to the ongoing destruction of property, with approximately 217,000 buildings destroyed or damaged and 5,000 people rescued from fires and collapsed buildings," the report said. Members of the authority were told that the service was in the process of replacing 58 of its older vehicles, with 10 of them being kept for training and others auctioned off. But the services planned to donate some of the vehicles to help fire services in Ukraine. The vehicles would be sent over in early April, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Two other engines will be donated to Brooklands Museum Volunteer Fire Service and South East Fire and Rescue, which is a volunteer group made up of military veterans and emergency services staff. Originally, six engines were due to be sent to Ukraine in April, but logistics meant only four could be sent from West Yorkshire. The remaining two will be kept in the UK, to be sent at a future date if needed. The donation is expected to cost the fire service about £65,000 in potential lost earnings from the auction of the vehicles. Glynn Richardson, head of transport at the fire service, said: "There would be a modest reduction in income, but in this instance the good these vehicles could do and the impact on communities in Ukraine will outweigh any revenue losses for us." Councillor Cahal Burke questioned whether similar support had been offered to other war-torn countries, and said : "We're asking our constituents to pay more tax when we're giving away vehicles that could raise £65,000." Chief Fire Officer John Roberts said in the past the service had provided support to countries across the world, including Ghana and Montenegro. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering by emailing yorkshirestories@ Ukraine war in maps: How control has shifted in three years European leaders back Zelensky after Trump clash Local Democracy Reporting Service
BBC News
02-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
West Yorkshire Fire Service to donate engines to Ukraine
Four fire engines from West Yorkshire will be donated to Ukraine to help deal with the devastation caused by the Russian from across West Yorkshire agreed to donate the vehicles at a meeting of West Yorkshire Fire Authority on Thursday.A further two engines will be sent to UK charities that support veterans.A report to members said the Ukraine State Emergency Service had been "under significant pressure since the current conflict began in February 2022". The report said 396 fire stations and 1,676 fire vehicles had been destroyed in the war-torn country since the 91 firefighters had been killed and a further 349 injured."In the same period, the work of Ukrainian firefighters has grown significantly in response to the ongoing destruction of property, with approximately 217,000 buildings destroyed or damaged and 5,000 people rescued from fires and collapsed buildings," the report of the authority were told that the service was in the process of replacing 58 of its older vehicles, with 10 of them being kept for training and others auctioned the services planned to donate some of the vehicles to help fire services in vehicles would be sent over in early April, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Two other engines will be donated to Brooklands Museum Volunteer Fire Service and South East Fire and Rescue, which is a volunteer group made up of military veterans and emergency services six engines were due to be sent to Ukraine in April, but logistics meant only four could be sent from West remaining two will be kept in the UK, to be sent at a future date if needed. 'Good impact' The donation is expected to cost the fire service about £65,000 in potential lost earnings from the auction of the Richardson, head of transport at the fire service, said: "There would be a modest reduction in income, but in this instance the good these vehicles could do and the impact on communities in Ukraine will outweigh any revenue losses for us."Councillor Cahal Burke questioned whether similar support had been offered to other war-torn countries, and said : "We're asking our constituents to pay more tax when we're giving away vehicles that could raise £65,000."Chief Fire Officer John Roberts said in the past the service had provided support to countries across the world, including Ghana and to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering by emailing yorkshirestories@
