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Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service Acting Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill has said that misogynistic language used by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner is unacceptable, and do not reflect the values of the Service and its staff.
Simon Tuhill said that the Fire Service is held in extremely high esteem by the public, and staff are proud of how much trust is placed in them and know they must earn it.
He said that the while there is work to do on improving the culture and diversity of the Service, he did not want the Commissioner’s remarks to detract from progress that has been made locally.
Acting Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill said: “The Fire Service is under scrutiny as never before. We have all been working extremely hard in Northamptonshire to make our service a kinder, better place to work. I am proud of the way everyone has committed to reaching the highest standards of behaviour and making a difference, both to their colleagues and the wider public.
“Everyone who works in our Service should be confident to come forward and challenge unacceptable behaviour and language in any form, from anyone – no-one is above that challenge.
“I am leading the work to improve our culture and I am happy be accountable for the work we are doing to tackle misogyny and discrimination of any kind.
“But while the Commissioner is accountable to the public, he fell short of the standards we expect from ourselves, and his remarks clearly made it impossible for him to legitimately hold me and this Service to account.
“His remarks were hurtful and damaging. Over the last few days I have been contacted by many members of staff expressing their concern and outrage, which I share. I am clear that I do not want what he said to be seen as a reflection of the values we embody in Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, or the work we are doing to be better.”
Simon Tuhill said that he and his senior team will continue to ensure firefighters and staff are supported and that he is keeping in touch with the Chief Constable and the Chief Executive of the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, to see what amends can be made.
He reassured the public that work to improve diversity and culture in the Service is making a difference and will continue.
“We have high standards, and we will not accept language and behaviour that falls short of them – ever, from anyone. Our staff are not only offended by what has happened and personally hurt, but they are angry that this might reflect badly on them and the work that they do.
“To be clear – at Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, misogyny is unacceptable. Everyone who works here joins me in condemning the comments made and reassuring the public that disrespect or hate of any kind has no place in our Service.”
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A Northamptonshire firefighter has been flying the flag for his local Service in a prestigious competition in Saudi Arabia pitting firefighters from across the world against each other.
Dean Keeber, a firefighter on Red Watch at Wellingborough, made the eight-hour flight to Dammam earlier this month to compete in the Aramco ‘Feel the Burn’ Firefighter Challenge – a five-day event starting on March 4 with more than 300 firefighters from 29 different countries across the globe taking part.
In front of a total of almost 90,000 spectators across the whole tournament, Dean – who has taken part in a number of Firefighter Challenges both in the UK and overseas – managed to win two bronze medals in his age category.
“It’s like a mini-Olympics for firefighters, and I was approached to take part in December, so it didn’t give me much time to prepare for it,” said Dean. “But luckily I’d been keeping myself fit over Christmas, so that and my previous hard work in other competitions had put me in good stead.”
Dean was awarded third place in the ‘Toughest Firefighter Alive’ challenge. The gruelling contest of four stages over 40 minutes consisted of pulling hoses, dragging casualties, climbing a three-metre wall, carrying heavy weights up towers, crawling through tunnels and finishing with a 10-floor run to the top of a tower. To make it even tougher, all this was done wearing full fire kit, boots and breathing apparatus in temperatures nearing 30°C. He was narrowly pipped to first and second place by competitors from Norway and the Czech Republic.
He was also awarded bronze in the Stair Climb Race, which saw him summit 13 floors and 312 steps to the top of the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture building. Dean was also a member of the UK Mixed Relay team that came in sixth place.
As well as maintaining his fitness, the competitions Dean takes part in help him keep his firefighting skills up-to-date and potentially learn new skills from across the world – all of which helps him to keep residents safe in Northamptonshire.
Dean said: “This competition has given me a chance to visit a country that I wouldn’t typically visit, and while we were there it was wonderful to be shown around some of the Saudi fire stations and see how they approach things and learn from that. We also got shown around some of the tourist hotspots, so it was a great visit that I’ve taken a lot away from.”
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19 March 2024
Residents across Northamptonshire have an opportunity to participate in the governance and accountability of police and fire services by joining the Northamptonshire Police, Fire, and Crime Panel as an independent member.
The Northamptonshire Police, Fire, and Crime (NPFC) Panel are seeking three dedicated and passionate individuals to serve as independent members on the panel from June 2024 until May 2028.
The Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) is responsible for overseeing the delivery and performance of police and fire services. They work closely with the Chief Constable and Chief Fire Officer to establish strategic objectives for their respective areas and hold the chiefs to account for delivering them. The PFCC is accountable to the electorate. The NPFC Panel scrutinises how the PFCC carries out their responsibilities.
The Police, Fire and Crime Panel, consisting of ten councillors from West Northamptonshire Council and North Northamptonshire Council, along with three independent members, ensures accountability and transparency in decision-making processes of police and fire services.
In your role as an independent member, your responsibilities will include scrutinising decisions and actions taken by the PFCC, reviewing draft plans and annual reports, advising on precept proposals, participating in the appointment of senior staff, and resolving non-criminal complaints about the conduct of the PFCC. Your insights and recommendations will directly influence the direction of public safety initiatives in Northamptonshire.
Independent members are paid an allowance for carrying out the role. You will also receive comprehensive induction, training, and ongoing support to excel in this role.
To embark on this rewarding journey and contribute to shaping the future of policing and fire services in Northamptonshire, interested candidates are encouraged to access the application pack and additional information on our website and to submit their applications by Sunday, 21 April 2024.
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19 March 2024
A Perfect Day Festival has revealed further acts that will be appearing in support of headliner James Arthur at Delapré Park, Northampton this June. The festival is an opportunity to showcase the wealth of musical talent in the region. This is reflected in the announcement of performances by a number of Northampton-based acts including singer/songwriters: Billy Lockett, Andy Crofts, Charlotte Carpenter and indie-rock band Balter. Further special guests to be announced.
About a Perfect Day
‘A Perfect Day’ is a new single day outdoor live music event presented by West Northants Council in partnership with Kilimanjaro & UK Live Ltd. Taking place at one of the most beautiful public gardens in Northampton known as the historic Delapré Park. Bring your picnic blanket and family and get ready to enjoy the ultimate day out with music, great facilities and fine food and drink!
Further information about the event and artists can be found on their webpages
Media enquiries: James Delanoy [email protected]/ tel: 01223 812533 for Kilimanjaro Live Ltd.
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18 March 2024
Parents, carers and young people are invited to have their say on future services for children, young people and families in West Northants as part of a consultation to refresh and review our local support offer.
The consultation is an opportunity for families to input into what our 0-19 services look like for children and young people, and how families would like to access support, advice and information in a way that is convenient and right for them.
The consultation is available now for residents to complete via the online survey here: https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/family-hubs/services-for-cyp-and-families.
All responses from the survey will be anonymous, with the feedback being collated and used to inform the new service model for Council funded 0-19 services and the approach to how the Council, together with other local organisations improves the offer regarding early support for children and young people in West Northamptonshire.
This comes at a time in West Northamptonshire, where this is a huge focus on early help services for our families and young people, with this consultation being an important part. Together with other local organisations, the Council is looking at the early help offer and how this can be strengthened to ensure there is the right, preventative support available.The consultation responses will directly feed into project and service development including:
- Establishing local Family Hubs in West Northants with the aim of ensuring all families with children aged between the years of 0-19 can access help, advice and support they need for a wide range of services much more easily. This includes exploring different ways to make services accessible – for example building an informative digital offer, creating in-person ‘hubs’ where various services are available for families in one place.
- Planning of the Council’s service specification for our 0-19 services – understanding what families and young people would like from these services will help to create a localised specification that meets the needs of our population.
“This is about how together with other organisations we can ensure families can access timely and helpful support to offer information, advice and guidance on a range of topics – this may be advice on newborn support and development, vaccinations for children, mental wellbeing advice for teenagers to name a few examples. By ensuring that people have access to the right early help can make a difference to their wellbeing, development and ultimately, life experiences.Cllr Fiona Baker, Cabinet Member for Children, Families, Education and Skills“Across West Northants there are some excellent services which work in the Early Help Space, for example our schools, health colleagues, voluntary sector, our libraries as well as many others. However, the needs of children and families that require help and support continues to increase and it is essential we meet the needs of our population and streamline how people can access this support. It is only by listening and engaging with those that have used our services or are likely too, that we can build a service offer that is right for our local families. We would like to build and strengthen the support already available, therefore I would encourage families and young people to please take the time to complete the consultation – your responses are so important for us developing our offer further to provide the right help, at the right time by the right service.”
The consultation is available on the link here: https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/family-hubs/services-for-cyp-and-families.
consultation closes on Sunday 28 April, at midnight. All responses from the survey will be anonymous.
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