Fire Minister to visit Wiltshire

Fire Minister Parmjit Dhanda MP will be visiting Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service on Thursday (26 June).

The visit follows an invitation made by Chief Fire Officer Andy Goves and the Fire Authority’s lead member for communities, Cllr Bobbie Chettleburgh, earlier this year, and the day’s programme will include tours of Chippenham and Malmesbury fire stations.

At Chippenham, the Minister will meet crews involved in last year’s flood rescues in Gloucestershire – including in his own constituency – and will hear presentations on a range of subjects.

Mr Goves said: “One of the key things we will be discussing is the promotion of automatic sprinkler systems into domestic and commercial properties. This is an area where we have had great success at working in partnership with Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire County Council. We will also be outlining our success in working with young people through our hard hitting educational Salamander project and Safe Drive, Stay Alive roadshows.”

Following a working lunch with members of the Fire Authority, Mr Dhanda will travel to Malmesbury, where he will meet the crew and hear about their role in co-responding.

This is a formal agreement between the Fire & Rescue Service and Great Western Ambulance Service that enables suitably trained firefighters to attend medical emergencies in areas where they can get there more quickly than an ambulance. In 2007-8, firefighters in Wiltshire attended 857 such incidents, providing medical care until the arrival of paramedics.

The visit to Malmesbury will also highlight the importance of retained firefighters and the support of local employers in allowing their staff to provide essential fire cover in their communities.

Mr Goves said: “Having the Fire Minister come to Wiltshire is a great honour, and it is an opportunity for us to highlight the issues that affect us as a relatively small fire service. Every Service has different challenges, and this is our chance to show what we do to protect the public of Wiltshire and Swindon, and also celebrate our successes at a national level.”

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