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Operating out of three locations, a primary base at
Bickenhill fire station and two other bases at Wednesbury and Sutton Coldfield fire stations, the WMFS Technical Rescue Unit has provides specialist rescue services such as rope and water rescue, dangerous buildings, and vehicle incidents involving
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The Fire
Investigation and Prevention Section (FIPS) investigates the cause of fire in a variety of different types of incidents including large fires, fires where the cause cannot be immediately determined, and fires where people may have been injured or died. FIPS works closely with the Police,
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The officers also work on special projects including arson reduction policies and strategies, human behaviour in fire, the main causes of fire, and the compilation of any information to identify trends in fire causes. This information is vital when undertaking targeted initiatives and campaigns
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there on 12 January 2010. The team members were joined by two further members who had been in Sweden as part of a training exercise at the time of the earthquake. The team members were involved in the rescue of several people, including two-year-old Mia, who had been trapped for over four days.
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WMFS currently operates a fleet of pump rescue ladders, technical rescue pumps, brigade response vehicles, aerial ladder platforms which are also referred to as
Hydraulic platforms. WMFS also operate business support vehicles in addition to various specialist appliances and transport vehicles.
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Response covers responding to emergencies, risk-based attendance standards, dynamic mobilising and Fire
Control. Prevention covers their up-stream firefighting work that includes safe and well visits, community engagement, vulnerable persons officers and other individual and home-based fire
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Following the closure of the
Birmingham Central fire station, Birmingham city centre is now covered by three fire stations: Aston located and covering the northern side, Highgate located and covering the southern, central and eastern sides, and Ladywood covering the western side.
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The service's headquarters is located in
Nechells in Birmingham, which is also the home to Staffordshire and West Midlands Fire Control. The control room, based at WMFS headquarters is the main incident management and mobilising centre for both WMFS and
223:(HMICFRS). The inspection investigates how well the service performs in each of three areas. On a scale of outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service has been rated as follows:
447:(UK-ISAR) is on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to respond to humanitarian accidents or disasters anywhere in the world. WMFS personnel are on call as UK-ISAR volunteers to respond to international incidents.
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The service is led by a Chief
Executive Officer who is overseen by the West Midlands Fire Authority. The Fire Authority is made up of 15 councillors who represent the seven councils within the West Midlands area.
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prevention work. Protection covers their work around commercial and business fire safety, licensing and safety around buildings such as high-rise and apartment blocks.
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Twelve members of the West
Midlands team were deployed as part of the UKISAR (United Kingdom International Search And Rescue) mission to Haiti in the wake of the
207:. WMFS was created by a merger of these county borough fire brigades, plus fire stations rom the fire brigades of Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire.
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In 2024, an interim chief executive officer was appointed in place of a chief fire officer. The current chief executive officer is Oliver Lee.
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CORE – 10-hour day-shift, or 14-hour shift-night shift covered by four watches, comprising Red, White, Blue and Green
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The service was created in 1974, when the West
Midlands county came into being. Prior to its creation, each of the
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How efficient is the fire and rescue service at keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks?
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How effective is the fire and rescue service at keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks?
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147:. The service has 38 fire stations, with a blended fleet of vehicles and specialist resources.
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The service divides its main functions into three areas: response, prevention and protection.
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1974–1975: George
Merrell (Chief officer of Birmingham Fire and Ambulance Service from 1969)
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1004:"Bosses speak out over "tragic accident" as Chinese lantern sparks region's biggest fire"
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other services, and organisations such as insurance companies when investigating fires.
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964:"British rescue teams pull three survivors including Mia, two, from the rubble"
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822:"Appointment of interim Chief Executive Officer - West Midlands Fire Service"
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His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
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Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
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His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
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899:"Sutton Coldfield Fire station unveiled as Technical Rescue Unit"
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The following people have held the office of chief fire officer:
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How well does the fire and rescue service look after its people?
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739:"Woman saved in fire drama; Kenneth new fire chief for region".
978:"ORDER NO. 15/19 West Midlands Fire Service Fire Investigation"
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The service currently uses the following frontline appliances
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203:) had their own fire brigade, the largest of which was the
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List of British firefighters killed in the line of duty
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relating to the education of fire safety awareness.
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United Kingdom International Search and Rescue Team
413:Tettenhall is the only solely late crewed station.
219:is subjected to a periodic statutory inspection by
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1443:Ministry of Civil Aviation Aerodrome Fire Service
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378:2013-2016 Toyota Hilux Brigade Response Vehicle
1469:Local government in the West Midlands (county)
984:. West Midlands Fire Service. 27 February 2017
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409:pm covered by two watches of Orange and Purple
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773:"'Surprise' as firefighters' chief resigns".
480:– 35-pump fire, 50,000 tonnes of plastic and
1433:Defence Fire Training and Development Centre
810:. West Midlands Fire Service. 19 April 2023.
790:"Hard work is key, says new WM fire chief".
342:Fire stations, appliances and rank structure
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1479:1974 establishments in the United Kingdom
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848:"Oliver Lee - West Midlands Fire Service"
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16:English regional fire and rescue service
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401:LATE – 12-hour shift running from 10
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808:"Appointment of Chief Fire Officer"
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950:"International Search and Rescue"
925:"International Search and Rescue"
435:trains and heavy goods vehicles.
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215:Every fire and rescue service in
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905:. Birmingham / Sutton Coldfield
897:Panter, Matthew (13 May 2022).
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523:West Midlands Search and Rescue
518:West Midlands Ambulance Service
439:International search and rescue
205:City of Birmingham Fire Brigade
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745:. 31 January 1998. p. 4.
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878:. West Midlands Fire Service
796:. 20 March 2009. p. 11.
762:. 12 August 2003. p. 4.
756:"Meet chief fireman Frank".
725:. 7 August 2002. p. 22.
548:. West Midlands Fire Service
488:plant on fire, sparked by a
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1193:Hampshire and Isle of Wight
568:"Governance and Leadership"
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328:2009–2013: Vijith Randeniya
171:in the West Midlands area (
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675:(HMICFRS). 20 January 2023
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319:1990–1998: Graham Meldum
89:Facilities and equipment
742:Birmingham Evening Mail
669:"West Midlands 2020/21"
649:(HMICFRS). 20 June 2019
643:"West Midlands 2018/19"
316:1981–1990: Brian Fuller
1428:Auxiliary Fire Service
1198:Hereford and Worcester
1168:Dorset & Wiltshire
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334:2023–2024: Wayne Brown
1438:National Fire Service
1397:Airport fire services
719:"Hail to the Chief".
430:Technical Rescue Unit
392:retained firefighters
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331:2014–2023: Phil Loach
313:1975–1981: Tom Lister
1407:Fire Service College
513:West Midlands Police
390:. It has no on-call
347:Frontline Appliances
876:"Our fire stations"
478:2013 Smethwick fire
302:Chief fire officers
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137:metropolitan county
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1355:Mid and West Wales
1188:Greater Manchester
1163:Devon and Somerset
1008:Express & Star
966:. 16 January 2010.
952:. 7 February 2023.
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362:Pump Rescue Ladder
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982:What Do They Know
472:Notable incidents
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1012:. Retrieved
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855:. Retrieved
852:www.wmfs.net
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388:firefighters
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241:Description
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1365:South Wales
1360:North Wales
1318:West Sussex
1273:Oxfordshire
1173:East Sussex
1010:. July 2013
653:22 November
290:Workstreams
252:Outstanding
211:Performance
66:Established
1463:Categories
1278:Shropshire
1243:Merseyside
1223:Lancashire
1208:Humberside
1158:Derbyshire
695:"Our Plan"
546:"About us"
529:References
452:earthquake
260:Efficiency
173:Birmingham
1138:Cleveland
1111:Berkshire
358:2007 JDC
81:Employees
1416:Historic
1332:Scotland
1143:Cornwall
1133:Cheshire
497:See also
405:am to 10
185:Solihull
177:Coventry
95:Stations
1293:Suffolk
1248:Norfolk
1153:Cumbria
1094:England
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