Monday, July 14, 2014

Fire Engines to be replaced with VW Caddy Vans

Here at FCCL we have had issues before with small vans  replacing Fire Engines, in fact one of our poetic masterpieces was "Simon Had an FRU" which if you fancy a constructive and informative giggle is available here 

But today at FCCL HQ the red mist descended when we were sent an email from ACO Rhodes to his staff in regard to the periods of legitimate Industrial Action taking place by the FBU over the next 8 days. 




Lets be honest here we have seen and heard some stupid things that senior officers have done  but this one most definitely takes the West Yorkshire Tax Payers biscuit 





Below is the email  in its entirety 


Between the periods of industrial action (IA) that are taking place from the 14th to the 21st July 2014, a decision has been made not to return appliances to their home stations as has previously been the case. 
  
Therefore, some crews will not have an appliance available for the duration of this series of IA periods and consideration has been given as to how to utilise these crews.   

They have been provided with a VW Caddy van which has adequate storage space for community safety fitting equipment and small ladder, which should be stored in the vehicle for the duration of these IA periods. There is also adequate storage space for the crew’s fire kit.

This will enable Home Fire Safety Checks, Operational Risk Visits and other activities to be carried out by personnel whilst enabling crews to be recalled for operational deployment if required.

During the day shift, crews will be allocated one of two tasks:

1. Carry out HFSC’s, Operational Risk Visits, training and maintenance within their own station ground

2. Carry out a targeted risk reduction campaign in the Dewsbury/Batley areas

To aid planning, a rota for daily tasking has been developed so that crews know which tasks they are to undertake.

During the night shift, crews are expected to perform tasks as normal including administrative tasks, training, E-learning or risk visits.

Again where necessary, crews may be recalled to FSHQ for operational deployment.


ACO S Rhodes Silver Commander



AND below Steve is our response. 



Between the periods of industrial action (IA) that are taking place from the 14th to the 21st July 2014, a decision has been made not to return appliances to their home stations as has previously been the case.  Really - who made that decision and where is it documented, Are the councillors on the Fire Authority aware of this ? 


Therefore, some crews will not have an appliance available for the duration of this series of IA periods and consideration has been given as to how to utilise these crews. Many of West Yorks Stations consist of just one or two pumps. Will this mean that some stations HAVE NO FIRE ENGINE AT ALL!!!! What about retained stations, will there  be pumps at these. 


They have been provided with a VW Caddy van which has adequate storage space for community safety fitting equipment and small ladder, which should be stored in the vehicle for the duration of these IA periods. There is also adequate storage space for the crew’s fire kit.
This will enable Home Fire Safety Checks, Operational Risk Visits and other activities to be carried out by personnel whilst enabling crews to be recalled for operational deployment if required. So lets get this straight, if there is an incident, you get back in your van and drive to FSHQ to pick up a pump to go back to an incident !!!!!!!!  



During the day shift, crews will be allocated one of two tasks:

1. Carry out HFSC’s, Operational Risk Visits, training and maintenance within their own station ground.   BUT what happens if there is an incident - surely this will increase response times even more. 
And correct me if i am wrong BUT DONT YOU NEED A PUMP AND ALL ITS KIT TO TRAIN WITH ??????? 

2. Carry out a targeted risk reduction campaign in the Dewsbury/Batley areas. 
Ahh yes we know about Dewsbury and Batley  - the stations you decided to close and commented that it must be ok because nobody bothered to respond. Nobody bothered because WYFRS and shame on them the Councillors in those wards didnt care enough to consult with their constituents. Setting Batley FS a target of a 1,000 extra  HFSC this year was pretty unachievable without some serious intervention, we did wonder how you were going to pull that one off! 


To aid planning, a rota for daily tasking has been developed so that crews know which tasks they are to undertake. Such as . Wash floors, clean windows and change station cats litter trays maybe!  We understand the  strike breaking scabs leave quite an odour behind. 

During the night shift, crews are expected to perform tasks as normal including administrative tasks, training, E-learning or risk visits.  
ooh lets think about this one,  yet again no pump = no cover. And although we dont doubt you have spent many a night swotting at your companies expense  we would prefer our crews to be within a short sprint of a  pump. 


Again where necessary, crews may be recalled to FSHQ for operational deployment. 
You call it operational deployment - we call them fires and  road traffic accidents and we know you are being grossly irresponsible  by taking away pumps from competent, experienced crews.  



ACO S Rhodes Silver Commander

Bless - nothing like throwing your weight about is there ?  
ACO Rhodes would have been quite sufficient.  But we know you like to feel important. So we shall join you and sign off 




Lets make it perfectly clear - the email above puts every citizen in West Yorkshire at significant risk.  The strikes are for two sets of two hours per day. Senior Officers at WYFRS have  chosen to put the county at risk for the other  TWENTY as well.   

So we have a little bit of advice for every fire fighter who does a risk assesment or Home Fire Safety Check in the next week. Tell people why you are doing them, explain about ACO Rhodes removing pumps from stations and when they are outraged give them his phone  number and suggest they give him a call. 




  • Assistant Chief Officer/Director of Service Support

    Steve Rhodes
    01274 655734   |   






  • Thursday, July 10, 2014

    Dear Simon .............Just a little note to say

    Just a little note to say
    Your staff won't be at work today
    So try your very bestest to
    Watch facebook, twitter, our blog too



    And 

    of course don't  leave any cameras running on pumps, RTC wedges in doors and make sure there are no mobile phone cameras about when your scabs mess things up.




    Lots of love   FCCL 















    Wednesday, July 09, 2014

    For Sale

    Its not often you get items like this on the market.

    Excellent condition - A GPS Tracker used by West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue.

    Do you have employees you want to spy on: FBU officials you need to keep track of? 

    Need to make sure senior officers stay at their desks during periods of industrial action scouring facebook and twitter for subversive posts and don't go AWOL ?







    As the person who found this tracker now wants to dispose of it - no reasonable offer will be refused.

    Oh bugger it we can't resist HANDBAG GATE  take a peep and what happened next ..........



    Thursday, June 26, 2014

    Come on Dave the suspense is killing me

    If you have ever wondered what Assistant Chief Fire Officers do as a hobby, apart from play with trains, rifle through handbags  and play bagpipes; we can now reveal that ACO Dave Walton takes pictures of fire hydrants that look like pineapples.

    This is he assures us the first in an occasional series,
    we wait Dave with bated breath, is the best yet to come?




    If of course any of our followers see any pineapply hydrants why not take a piccie and  send it to Dave - we are confident he will be chuffed to bits.


    But whilst we are on the topic of photos, here is one that is much more serious.

    We've been sent this by an occupier in a block of flats who was concerned about the response they received to a fire in their building during the ongoing strike action. This is what happens when the incompetent officers who break the strike leave equipment behind, meaning the whole building was susceptible to smoke logging and  fire spread which will block everyone's escape.




    The RTC wedge was left in the fire door for over 26 hours before being removed!
     







    Wednesday, June 25, 2014

    FALSIFICATION OF RECORDS AT WYFRS

    Well, well, well look what we have been sent
     
    In accordance with LCC petitions guidance, please see the attached documents relating to a petition that 264 people have signed; the contents of which are self explanatory.
     
    It has come to this stage because  senior investigating officers in the Fire Service, and some Fire Authority members, refuse to acknowledge the fact or take accountability for the proven facts that;
     
    1. A fire engine and crew were misused at the tax payers expense.
    2. The falsification of official documents to hide fact 1.
    3. The people of and businesses of Wetherby were put at an unacceptable risk for over 4 hours.
     
    We would like assurances that this incident, and others like it, where operational crews are stood down to carry out charity work will not happen again.
    We would like an “independent” investigation or neutral interpretation of the proven facts.
    Suitable action taken against the person who allowed this incident to happen and falsified the records.
    An acknowledgment that this incident was wrong and an apology to the general public.
     
    But WYFRS  seem non too  keen to  accept the fact that a full and frank investigation should take place.......... here is a response from  Mr Barnes , the WYFRS solicitors. And sadly we kid you not he did reply to a member of the public in shouty capital letters, (how very unprofessional and rude).
     
    We copied and pasted the below directly from the email to
    demonstrate the size of font Mr Barnes used.
     
    I am not sure where you obtain your advice from but I am obliged to inform you that there is no provision in the FRA Constitution for a petition to trigger a public discussion.
    The next meeting of the FRA is the AGM on 30th July. There is a limited provision subject to compliance with procedural requirements and certain exclusions for members of the public to ask questions at FRA meetings but if you read the

    Sunday, June 22, 2014

    Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Consultation






                                                      Here we go again, Fire Authorities are still being told by CFO's keen to implement cuts in

    "our hands are tied" cuts in provision are forced through regardless of what the public think. 


    Warwickshire are now asking for our help in publicising their petition against cuts in Fire & Rescue. 

    The Change.org  link is available  HERE   please sign it and log your opposition to the cuts.  

    Even though the consultation officially closed on Friday, we are sure the CFO of Warwick will be delighted to here from you. 

    Why not make a complaint. 
    If you are local ask why the consultation was not more thorough. The link is available here  to take you straight to their  webpage. 

    Their Integrated Risk Management Plan is also well worth a read.  

    SO.....

    It is our intention to use this IRMP to assess risk to the public
    and to the Fire and Rescue Authority so that we can develop a
    coordinated strategy that makes the best use of the money,
    people and equipment that we have at our disposa

    Have you signed yet ?  

    Where ever you are in the country  
    FIRE CUTS COST LIVES 

    Friday, June 20, 2014

    Dear CFO Pilling, Just a few hints for today because

    We understand that Friday the 20th June you are invited to attend a meeting with Brandon Lewis MP the Minister responsible for decimating fire and rescue provision in the UK.

    Sadly (for we sure as hell would like to look him in the face and give him our opinion) you have declined to attend the meeting in person and are joining by conference call.

    We at FCCL sadly too have to spend hours on conference calls, so we thought we would give you a few handy hints  to see you through:-


    1. WEAR A HEADSET even though it without a doubt  ruins your "hairdo",  or use a proper conference table top device if  you don't want to ruffle your hair.

    2. ON NO ACCOUNT EAT CRISPS - unless of course you are able to mute the device for extended periods of time, which means you can't say much

    3. TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER AND MOBILE - composing or  responding to emails is not on
     ( we are straying into multitasking territory here and you are the wrong sex for that to be done successfully)

    And most important of all


    4. SPEAK UP ....  we know you got your fancy Queens Medal for being a good boy,  being  obedient and implementing the  hatchet plans  for the Government,   in return for a huge salary of course.

     BUT like it or not Simon  regardless of all the spin you put on your figures, take of your rose tinted £160k specs and remember

    DEATHS 
    BY ACCIDENTAL FIRES ARE INCREASING


    1st PUMP RESPONSE TIMES ARE  DECREASING  - and you don't even dare talk about or publish 2nd and 3rd pump response times!


    And expecting operational  fire fighters (they are the ones who do the dangerous dirty work btw)  to work until they are 60 is just unrealistic and down right DANGEROUS, not to mention unfair. 

    So although we would have preferred you to pop on a train to London, to look the minister in the eyes. We understand why you haven't got time to attend........ honest we do!


    If you are happy to condone the spending of £200 per pump for food for strike breaking operatives  during periods of industrial action,   doing your own food shopping  for the weekend must be quite a task,  we all understand the need to get to Waitrose before the Friday night rush! 

    Sunday, June 15, 2014

    Congratulations ............ best in West Yorkshire

    Whoops, before you think we were complimenting West Yorkshire  Fire and Rescue
    we had better put you right.

    The congrats go to Anthia Orchard, an ex WYFRS employee who was illegally investigated by WYFRS  - when ACO Martyn Redfearn signed a RIPA order to have her followed by a private investigator, whose company illegally tracked her family car. After that WYFRS added insult to injury by tampering with her handbag when she had left the room.


    We are delighted to announce that in her FIRST YEAR OF BUSINESS Anthia has won a coveted National Wedding Industry Award

     
     
    After  FCCL congratulated  Anthia she said
     

    " I've turned my life around after they (WYFRS) tried to ruin me.

    And I've FCCL and the FBU  to thank for believing in me"

     
     
    Having gone from being bereft at having to leave the job she loved, Anthia has indeed turned her life around, and looks forward in the next few months to opening her first retail outlet.
     
     

    Anthia really has gone from "Blue Lights to Balloons" - words you might be hearing much more of in the future. 

    If you would like to see more of Anthia's work it's available here
     
     



    Wednesday, April 30, 2014

    A Virtual Picket Line


    We have had an IDEA - a VIRTUAL PICKET LINE 









    Lots and lots of  people support the Fire Brigades Union's currently industrial action but are unable to pop down to the picket lines at Fire Stations and show their support "in the flesh".


    So FCCL have decided to compile a virtual picket line of  photos and comments from members of the public for the forthcoming period of industrial action , which are  

    Friday 2 May, between noon and 5pm
    Saturday 3 May, between 2pm and 2am
    Sunday 4 May, between 10am and 3pm


    Simply send us a photo and some text 

    explaining why you are

     supporting  the strike to






    and we will upload the pictures in the

    form of a video to our website. 

    Don't forget to let us know which area


     of the country you are supporting. 
    us a picture of yourself and some text explaining why you are supporting the Fire Brigades Union’s current industrial action to






    Thursday, April 24, 2014

    An Assistant Chief Officer called Steve,

    An Assistant Chief Officer called Steve*

    Has (you'll  find it hard to believe)#

    Stopped West Yorks FBU, from emailing you

    So we're cross and we need to concede...........  

    *Rhodes  
    # Ok we are being sarcastic it's been a long day!
     Concede to what you may ask ?

    We here at FCCL have a very soft spot for David Williams of West Yorkshire FBU. He has over the past two and a half years risen  from associate, comrade, to  friend and now (poor sod) has achieved the heady heights of being a trusted pal. 


    So when FCCL  read the West Yorks FBU facebook page on the 23rd April 2014  FCCL  went from serene to niffed quicker than a CFO discovering a camera might have been left running on a pump during a strike

    So we are conceding  to our emotions (its a girl thing)  and wish to name and shame ACO Steve Rhodes as FCCL  consider him to be a BULLY  and worse is  guilty of victimisation and harassment of a union official, which is not only inappropriate behaviour for a Director of a Public Authority but in direct contravention of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 ! 


    ACO Rhodes actions are also of course in direct contravention of WYFRS  Employment Services Trade Union Facilities Agreement Policy (Grey). A copy of which you can find here  

    Dave's alleged crime.............to try an email some of his members via his WYFRS email account! 


    Now Dave (we happen to know because FCCL were also there) recently attended a TUC briefing on Facility and Recognition agreements,  so he  is fully aware of what he can and cannot do; and what the FBU as a recognised Trades Union is entitled to use as part of their facility / recognition agreement  with WYFRA .


    Strangely enough the Chief Fire Officers Association don't seem to be allowed access 
    to the above facilities - it would be interesting to  see if they did communicate
     with their members via their  WYFRS email accounts!  






    So in closing  we have to award both David Williams and Steve Rhodes 10 /10. 

    Dave for showing great courage in outing what ACO Rhodes has done - standing up to bullying such as this takes guts. 





    And to 
    ACO Rhodes for being our little blogs 
    favourite person! 

    To date FCCL has had 150,000 hits and 27% of all our traffic has viewed Handbag Gate - so we have a lot to thank him for really ! 





    Thursday, March 13, 2014

    The Mother of Development Opportunities!

    On Tuesday I undertook my Fire Marshall training which was conducted in my workplace by a trainer from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. As it was the third time I have done the course (it’s obligatory every three years) I attended expecting the same old stuff as the previous two episodes, but a different trainer meant the course content was slightly different. I will be forever grateful to the chap, as now I know the best fuel to light a barbecue with is a packet of cheesy wotsits; although today  the FBU assured me that monster munch works just as well (and as they are cheaper, are more cost effective)  plus the pickled onion flavour tastes so foul  setting light to them is probably classified as an humanitarian act keeping them out of the food chain.


     
    Anyway less of potato based snacks,  
    I digress.








    WYFRS explained the Triangle of Fire - fuel, heat and oxygen and said it was our duty to report and if possible rectify fire hazards if we saw them in our workplace. One of the examples he gave was a picture of a cassette radio adjacent  to curtains on a bedroom windowsill; he admitted that this had been taken in a bedroom at Fire Service Headquarters at Birkenshaw  and that one of the recruits when training had placed it there (he did add, bless him that they hadn't had recruits in a fair while and that it was a very old piccie) at which I may, or may not, have had a small coughing fit to try and prevent a sarcastic remark escaping from my lips.


    Then we were asked what  we would do to the person who had been stupid enough to cause a fire hazard in the first place?

    A spot of banter ensued and the sanctions varied from a  telling off to sacking them for gross misconduct! None of which were right apparently ............ people doing things that may have potentially endangered life or property offered staff  
    "development opportunities" he said. It was an opportunity to show them the error of their ways and support them to understand what they had done wrong and to teach them the right way. 

    For once I have to say I agree with somebody from FSHQ !


    But now I am confused...........


    IF  the advice from WYFRS is that making mistakes is to be seen as an opportunity to do good and develop people professionally, why on earth have they dismissed Firefighter Phil Miller for a one off act that took place on a picket line?  
    For what he is alleged to have done I'm not saying that he should get off scot free, but surely it is a gross waste of tax payers’ money to dismiss a highly trained staff member who over the years will have accumulated masses of experience and matured into the role he undertook. 

    It would surely be a decent manager with integrity who acknowledged an error made by their staff and dealt with it "in house” rather than using a sledgehammer to crack a highly trained and experienced nut by dismissing them. 

    An even better manager would work with the union concerned to ensure that there was a mutual understanding of unacceptable behaviour!

    The Star Trek Effect! 

    How much it costs to train a fire fighter to a competent standard I don’t know, but I expect  it runs into the many tens of thousands of pounds?  
    Is it worth throwing all of that training away in one fell swoop?  

    No of course it isn’t.  



    The councillors who oversee the fire authority (listed below) are perhaps the ones we should all hold to account.  At the present the Human Resources Committee is as follows, as you can see it is the Labour party who hold sway; most of whom will have at some point in their careers been on demos, picket lines etc and would surely understand the emotional nature of such events. Yet they allowed senior management to dismiss Phil Miller.


    Labour
    Conservative
    Liberal Democrat
    Cllr R Grahame (Vice chair)
    Cllr P Caffrey
    Cllr C Burke
    Cllr M Hardy
    Cllr L Holmes
    Cllr M Harland
    Cllr A Taylor
    Cllr M Khan
    Cllr G Wilkinson
    Cllr G Thornton (Chair)
    Cllr A Wainwright

    The FBU firefighters who are striking and campaigning are aiming to change things for the betterment of all, not just union members.

    Any benefits gained from the removal of ones labour is an act for the collective 
    long term good of Fire and Rescue.


    Surely this incident would offer WYFRS managers the mother of all 
    development opportunities!  

    But they chose to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut -  I can therefore only presume the act of dismissing Phil was an act of vengeance and spite (and extremely unprofessional too!)


    Shame on You WYFRS, although from what we have seen here at FCCL they don't manage staff as much as intimidate them into submission.

    So  

    We wish you the very best Phil and we will support you in whatever way we can and we are confident that Thompsons and the FBU in partnership will fight your corner at an Employment Tribunal. Talk to them, get your day in court  - its what you paid your subs for! 

    And because we are in a philosophical mood we will end with an appropriate  quote for all WYFRS Managers.....