Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
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Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory FRS (fire and rescue service) for the county of Essex in the south-east of England. In 2005 the service attended a total of 24,291 emergency calls, mostly made up of fires and road traffic collisions.[1] ECFRS employs 1792 people breaking down into 958 fulltime firefighters, 532 retained (those who have full-time jobs but attend incidents on a call-out basis), 49 control operators and 253 support staff. It operates 52 fire stations spread throughout the county consisting of 18 fulltime stations, located in the more densely populated centres, and 34 retained stations providing cover throughout the rest of the county.
Major risks covered by ECFRS include Stansted Airport, Lakeside shopping centre, Southend Airport, BP's oil refinery at Coryton and part of the M25 and M11 motorways.
As well as attending fires and road traffic collisions, the FRS provides emergency response to chemical spills and provides one of the country's urban search and rescue teams - a team of officers with special training and equipment to conduct rescues from collapsed buildings and enclosed spaces, their resources include Darcy, the USAR dog, who has been trained to sniff out people trapped in rubble.
Organisation
ECFRS Headquarters and Control are based in Hutton, Brentwood. The FRS is divided into seven Community Commands. They are:
- Basildon and Castle Point Community Command
- Chelmsford and Maldon Community Command
- Colchester and Tendering Community Command
- Harlow and Epping Community Command
- Southend and Rochford Community Command
- Thurrock and Brentwood Community Command
- Uttlesford and Braintree Community Command
The Chief Fire Officer is David Johnson.
Emergency calls are taken by Control Operators, based in the Control Room at service headquarters in Hutton. The administrative centre for the service is also based at Service headquarters.
There are training departments based in Chelmsford, Orsett, Witham and Wethersfield.
Service Workshops, where the service's fleet of vehicles are maintained, are based in Lexden, Colchester.
Appliances
ECFRS has the following firefighting appliances in operation:
- 56 Rescue Pumps (one shown right)
- 14 Water Tenders (similar to the Pump except with less emphasis on rescue equipment)
The front line appliances currently in operation are a combination of Dennis Rapiers, Daggers, Sabres and Sabre XLs; and since 2004 the newest appliances have been Scania 94Ds and P270s. There is still one Dennis RS in the reserve fleet.
Specialised appliances:
- 5 Aerial Ladder Platforms (ALPs)
- 5 Light Water Tenders (4 Steyr Pinzgauers and 1 Mercedes Unimog)
- 4 Rescue Tenders
- 5 Urban Search & Rescue prime movers at Lexden USAR facility plus a Search Dog Unit
- 2 Foam Tankers
- 1 Foam Tender
- 1 Control Unit
- 1 Hose Layer
- 1 Incident Response Unit
- 1 Fireboat
Essex County Fire & Rescue Service has also a pair of curtain-side lorries which are currently being used for two main purposes: driver training, and equipment transfer.
Because they are fitted with flashing blue lights and sirens, they can also act as "operational support" vehicles by transporting bulk equipment to an emergency incident.
They are currently based at the service's Driving School in Chelmsford, which is also home to a number of former appliances now used for Emergency Fire Appliance Driving (EFAD) training.
Fire stations
This is a complete list of Essex fire stations, and the appliances allocated to them:
- Basildon W52 - Wholetime, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender, 1 Aerial Ladder Platform
- Billericay W68 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Light Water Tender (Pinzgauer)
- Braintree W78 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender
- Brentwood W51 - Wholetime, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender, 1 Control Unit
- Brightlingsea E20 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Burnham on Crouch E43 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Light Water Tender (Pinzgauer), 1 Fireboat
- Canvey Island W54 - Wholetime/Retained, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender
- Chelmsford E34 - Wholetime, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender, 1 Aerial Ladder Platform, 1 Incident Response Unit
- Clacton E12 - Wholetime, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender
- Coggeshall E24 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Colchester E10 - Wholetime, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender, 1 Aerial Ladder Platform, 1 Rescue Tender
- Corringham W66 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender
- Dovercourt E11 - Day manned, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender
- Epping W89 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Foam Tanker
- Frinton E18 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender
- Grays W50 - Wholetime, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender, 1 Rescue Tender, 1 Foam Tender
- Great Baddow E33 - Day manned, 1 Rescue Pump
- Great Dunmow W87 - Retained, 1 Resce Pump, 1 Light Water Tender (Pinzgauer)
- Hadleigh E35 - Wholetime, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender, 1 Hose Layer
- Halstead W81 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender
- Harlow Central W70 - Wholetime, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender, 1 Aerial Ladder Platform, 1 Rescue Tender
- Hawkwell E47 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Ingatestone W67 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Leaden Roding W88 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Leigh E31 - Wholetime, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender, 1 Rescue Tender
- Lexden E14 - Day manned, 3 Urban Search & Rescue prime movers
- Loughton W72 - Wholetime, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender
- Maldon E46 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender, 1 Foam Tanker
- Manningtree E17 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Light Water Tender (Pinzgauer)
- Newport W84 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Old Harlow W82 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Ongar W71 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Orsett W55 - Wholetime, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender
- Rayleigh E48 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Rochford E49 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Saffron Walden W85 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender
- Shoeburyness E42 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Sible Headingham W80 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- South Woodham Ferrers E32 - Day manned, 1 Rescue Pump
- Southend E30 - Wholetime, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender, 1 Aerial Ladder Platform
- Stansted W83 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Light Water Tender (Unimog)
- Thaxted W86 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Tillingham E44 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Tiptree E23 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Tollesbury E45 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Waltham Abbey W73 - Day manned, 1 Rescue Pump
- Weeley E19 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- West Mersea E22 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Wethersfield W79 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Wickford W69 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
- Witham E25 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump, 1 Water Tender
- Wivenhoe E21 - Retained, 1 Rescue Pump
Urban Search and Rescue Team
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Using state-of-the-art equipment, multi-purpose vehicles, a sniffer dog and purpose built base staffed with a highly trained and experienced team are the elements which have come together in Essex to create the County Fire Service’s new Urban Search and Rescue Team.
The team is equipped to deal with incidents in which victims have become trapped in rubble of collapsed buildings, and major transport accidents. They will be able to locate and safely extract any trapped persons, or in the event of possible collapse can shore up unstable buildings so that fire-fighters can continue with rescue operations.
The USAR team are equipped with Prime Movers, specialist vehicles that can be loaded with one of five pods, depending on what situation the team are going to face. These pods include support, technical rescue and even a small multi-purpose vehicle which can access tight spaces, explore voids, and move heavy loads.
But it is not all high-tech equipment; there is also a 'back to basics' approach offered by Darcy the search dog, who has been trained to help sniff out people trapped.
Following the September 11th 2001 attacks on US cities, new risks were shown to the world; risks for which rescue services would need to be better prepared and the government responded with the announcement that Urban Search & Rescue teams were to be established around the country - one of the first services to do so was Essex.
Essex was chosen because it had 14 officers already trained in urban rescue, officers which had used their skills in rescuing people from the rubble of collapsed buildings or can put their skills to practice creating structures to make safe a building in danger of collapse. The 14 officers of the UK Fire Service Safety and Rescue Team in Essex provide a wide experienced knowledge base to help support the team.
The USAR Team were part of the rescue effort that was sent to Bam, Iran after it was hit by devastating earthquakes in December 2003 where they helped in the search for victims amongst the ruins of the ancient city.
Plans for a new base have been given approval and £1.1million has been set aside for its construction.
Rudy Jackson, who is the USAR manager, said: “We are working at the cutting edge and there is a real buzz around this, we can’t wait to get in our base and get started properly. This is a very exciting time for us, we are founding a new section and have been supplied with all the new equipment and our base is in the process of being built."
Fatal Warwickshire warehouse fire 2007
ECFRS was one of a number of brigades to assist in urban search and rescue for three missing firefighters of the Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service following a large warehouse fire. The incident included the worst loss of life for 30 years in the UK, with four firefighters killed.
Oxfordshire floods 2007
ECFRS assisted in the emergency response to floods in Oxfordshire, where seven firefighters from the Swift Water Rescue team helped rescue victims trapped by the floods with a specialist fireboat.
Buncefield Oil Depot fire 2005
Essex was one of 16 brigades called in to attend the large oil depot fire near Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, in December 2005. Fire appliances from Orsett, Hadleigh, Harlow, and foam appliances from Grays, Maldon and Epping attended.
Fire engines in collision
On Christmas Morning 2006, two ECFRS pumping appliances were in collision, injuring ten firefighters.
The appliances, one from Southend the other from Leigh-on-Sea, were responding to a house fire with persons reported trapped, and collided as they approached the junction of North Street and London Road in Southend from different directions.
Two other fire engines were drafted in to attend the original emergency call, and others responded to the crash scene, where several ambulances transported the injured firefighters to Southend General Hospital. None suffered major or life-threatening injuries.
Brentwood pallet site fire 2006
20 fire engines descended on Great Warley Street in Brentwood on the evening of August 15th 2006 as a large pallet site went up in flames.
The first crews on scene were two pumps from Brentwood. They immediately requested further assistance and the Control Unit to attend. Ingatestone and Ongar crews were mobilised.
Over the next hour or so, additional appliances were called in from Grays, Canvey, Epping and two appliances each from Basildon and Orsett.
After one hour, a lack of water available near the site meant a Hose Layer Unit had to be drafted in from Hadleigh, which then relayed supplies from as far away as the A127. As the fire spread and flames reached 100ft high, the officer in charge requested Aerial Ladder Platforms from Harlow and Chelmsford. Half an hour later the incident escalated to 'make pumps 15'. Extra crews were drafted in from the London Fire Brigade in the form of two appliances from Romford and one from Hornchurch. An all-terrain Pinzgauer responded from Billericay to assist in operations.
There were two diesel tanks on-site situated close to the initial burning pallets, but the quick action of firefighters prevented fire spreading there. There was also a shed containing paint and thinners which went up and there were a number of small explosions. At least one of a dozen articulated lorries in the yard was destroyed.
At its height, the blaze could be seen for five miles, and the A127 had to be completed closed. Two firefighters were injured while tackling the fire, and were treated by ambulance staff on scene.
After nine hours, the attendance was reduced to a three-pump relief, who remained at the scene for most of the following day.
Major incidents of note in 2008
- Tilbury Docks crane fire
Crews were called to tackle a fire in the cab of a straddle carrier at Tilbury Docks on 21st January 2008.
The fire was in the cab of the carrier - which is a crane on stilts which straddle containers to load and unload them - 40 feet from the ground. Crews used one spray plate covering a nearby warehouse, and used hose reels, a thermal imaging camera and an aerial ladder platform to fight the fire in the cab, which was 100% alight.
Five fire engines, an Aerial Ladder Platform and the Hose Layer responded to the call at 4.50pm, and the incident was resolved at 7pm.
- Althorne barn fire
Eight fire engines were summoned to a large barn in rural Althorne containing motor oils and over 600 tonnes of bailed straw well alight.
After just 20 minutes on the scene the officer in charge requested the Hose Layer appliance from Hadleigh to respond to assist in getting additional water supplies to the fireground. It relayed supplies from an open pond, although this also diminished after a couple of hours. The Hose Layer proceeded to a hydrant over a mile away then drove back to the incident with the hose laying off the rear. An all-terrain Pinzgauer appliance from Burnham was also mobilised.
After five hours the number of crews were scaled down, although operations continued long into the following day, with a two-pump relief ordered after 15 hours.
- Basildon house fires
On 19th March 2008 crews were called to a house fire in Basildon. Upon arrival they reported the fire had spread to two other surrounding houses as well. The first floors and roofs of all three properties were well alight.
At the peak of the blaze, seven fire engines, an Aerial Ladder Platform and Control Unit were on scene, and after three hours a 3-pump relief was ordered to take over with turning over and damping down. The Red Cross victim support unit also attended to provide assistance to householders made homeless.
- Ongar office block fire
On 25th April, fire crews were summoned to a fire in an unoccupied office block in Ongar. All three storeys of the building, measuring 20m x 20m and surrounded by scaffolding, were well alight. Six fire engines, an Aerial Ladder Platform, a Rescue Tender, a Control Unit, and a Hose Layer attended. Six jets and the ALP were used to tackle the blaze, working from outside the building for safety. Because of the suspicious nature of the fire, a joint police and fire investigation was ordered to be carried out into the cause.
- Rochford industrial mill fire
Ten fire engines and two aerial ladder platforms attended a fire in an industrial mill in Rochford on the evening of 18th May 2008. The five-storey building, measuring 50m x 50m, was 100% well alight.
A thermal imaging camera from a police helicopter was used to establish if the fire had spread to surrounding buildings. Using ten pumps, four main jets, four monitors and four light portable pumps, the fire was extinguished within 3½ hours. Crews changed and the attendance was scaled down to six pumps and one ALP (from the London Fire Brigade) to allow thorough damping down of the site.
Major incidents of note in 2007
- Eastwood warehouse fire
On 22 December 2007, 20 fire engines and over 100 firefighters tackled a fierce fire engulfing an electrical distribution warehouse in Eastwood. Aerial Ladder Platforms and a Hose Layer were also used to assist in defensive firefighting operations.
- Navestock farm workshop fire
On 25 November 2007, 11 fire appliances responded to a large fire in a workshop building on a remote country farm near Brentwood. Initially, two fire engines from Brentwood and two from Romford (London Fire Brigade) were called to the incident, however crews struggled to contain the fire and were hampered by poor water supplies due to the remoteness of the workshop. The Hose Layer responded from Hadleigh, which connected to a fire hydrant nearly one mile away, then drove to the incident with the hose laying off the back. After 90 minutes, the officer in charge requested assistance from three more crews. Fire engines from Ingatestone, Ongar and Hornchurch (London Fire Brigade) responded. The ECFRS Control Unit also attended, and the country lane was closed to all traffic except emergency vehicles. A 200m exclusion zone was kept in place for 24 hours due to the presence of acetylene and propane cylinders which had to be cooled and made safe by relief crews from Loughton and Old Harlow.
- Coryton Oil Refinery fire
On 31 October 2007, 17 fire appliances attended a fire at the BP oil refinery in Corringham where an explosion was reported. A major foam and water attack was initiated on a fire in a tower, with flames 100 feet high. The service's specialist petrochemical officer attended. Crews remained on scene for most of the day, no one was injured and an investigation was launched into the cause of the fire.
- Canvey recycling centre fire
On 19 September 2007, eight fire engines and an Aerial Ladder Platform attended a fire in a range of buildings 100% alight at a recycling centre in Canvey. After three hours, the officer in charge of the incident, reported that acetylene and LPG gas cylinders were involved. Hadleigh's Hose Layer lorry was called in to provide an enhanced water supply for operations, and the Control Unit from Brentwood also responded. After seven hours the fire was extinguished and five fire engines remained to dampen down.
- Brentwood plane crash
On 27 August 2007, a father and child were killed in a light aircraft crash just yards from the M25 near Brentwood. Two fire engines from Brentwood, two from Grays, and a Rescue Tender were rushed to the scene. The plane came down in a field of horses, and ambulances were also called to attend to the passengers onboard. The father and 3-year-old child died in the plane as it exploded shortly after crash-landing. The child's mother was thrown clear of the wreckage and survived. The Foam Tender from Grays was requested to help tackle the burning plane wreck, but the large vehicle encountered difficulty reaching the site due to the narrow road, and on arrival was no longer required.
- Harwich warehouse fire
On 15 July 2007, 18 fire appliances and around 80 firefighters tackled a huge warehouse fire in Harwich. 15 fire engines and two Aerial Ladder Platforms responded, as well as the ECFRS Control Unit which travelled 60 miles from its base in Brentwood. The blaze took over 9 hours to extinguish and then required 30 firefighters and one of the ALPs to remain at the scene to dampen down and ensure there was no re-ignition.
- Purfleet warehouse fire
On 4 June 2007, 12 fire appliances were summoned to a disused warehouse well alight. Initially four fire engines were called, but upon arrival a further two were requested and the Hose Layer to assist in getting water to the fireground. An Aerial Ladder Platform and the Control Unit also attended. After two hours, a further two fire engines were ordered and an additional ALP. After seven hours the fire was controlled and three fresh crews were called in for relief.
- Chelmsford bus crash
On 1 June 2007, four fire engines and the specialist Urban Search & Rescue team were called to a bus crash which had caused a five-storey scaffolding tower to become structurally unsafe. The bus driver and other people were cut free and left in the care of paramedics and after the scaffolding was made safe the incident was left in the hands of the police and the road reopened after six hours.
- Orsett Hall fire
On 11-12 May 2007, a large fire broke out in Orsett Hall. Nine fire engines and two aerial ladder platforms were called. At the height of the incident, around 60 firefighters were involved in firefighting operations which were being directed from the Brigade Control Unit which had responded from Brentwood. The building suffered irreparable damage and was a grade 2 listed building which used to be a hotel and restaurant set in 12 acres of grounds.
- Landfill site fire
On 29 April, five fire engines, an all-terrain Pinzgauer and a Unimog off-road appliance were called to a fire at a landfill site in Ugley. In addition to the use of the off-roaders, crews used jets and hose reels to bring the fire under control after about three hours.
- Southend Airport plane crash
On 24 March 2007, eight fire engines, a Rescue Tender and Foam Tender attended a plane crash at Southend Airport with seven passengers onboard the aircraft. All ten appliances were waiting on the runway when the plane landed with its front landing gear collapsed. The fire engines followed the plane down the runway as it skidded on its nose. All the passengers were unharmed and there was no fuel leak, meaning the crews could leave the incident in the hands of the airport fire brigade.
- Halstead factory fire
On 25 February 2007, 10 fire engines, a Rescue Tender, an Aerial Ladder Platform and the ECFRS Control Unit responded to a large fire in a factory unit. Crews required breathing apparatus to gain access to the building which was 100% smoke logged and 50% alight. It took around nine hours to contain and extinguish.
- M25 tunnel crash
On 6 February 2007, a prison van was involved in a road traffic collision with a lorry, in the Holmesdale tunnel between junction 26-25 of the M25. Three fire engines from Essex, and four from Hertfordshire attended. The driver of the prison van was trapped, and two other persons involved required medical attention.
- Purfleet warehouse fire
On 25 January, seven fire engines and the Foam Tender were required to a fire in the basement of a disused warehouse in Purfleet. Crews were unable to enter the warehouse so high expansion foam was used to fill the space and extinguish the fire. The foam was pumped into the basement from the Foam Tender vehicle using a special fan and once inside expanded up to 14,000 times its original size to fill the entire space and suffocate any flames. After 13 hours, the last remaining crews left the scene.
- Stansted house fire
On 17 January 2007, the brigade were called to a fire in a large house under construction near Stansted. Nine fire engines and a Rescue tender responded to the unoccupied house, which was 100% alight. The size of the mobilisation meant 50 firefighters were able to bring the fire under control after one hour.
- Leigh tyre depot fire
On 1 January 2007, firefighters were deployed to a large amount of tyres on fire in a depot in West Leigh. Six fire engines, a Rescue tender, an Aerial Ladder Platform, and the Bulk Foam Tender were used to bring the fire under control.