The FBU’s DECON campaign is becoming an important part of fire and rescue across the country.
Events like a recent joint Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) and FBU seminar to embed the DECON campaign across the service show how this is happening.
Professor Anna Stec of the University of Central Lancashire, who has led on the scientific research for the project, explained how the impact of fire contaminants could be reduced.
HIGHER RATES OF CANCER
She and other researchers around the world are focusing on fire contaminants and their relationship with higher rates of cancer and other diseases in firefighters.
The FBU’s DECON project is designed to protect firefighters from these health threats by providing guidance on cleaning, equipment, and more that helps reduce the impact of fire contaminants.
Riccardo la Torre, FBU national officer, said: “DECON gives services tools to do the urgent work of protecting their people. It has made a tangible difference in so many fire stations, with DECON posters across the walls and providing guidance that often wasn’t in place before.
We are very pleased to see Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service making use of DECON
“We look forward to continuing to work with them in the future to further embed DECON.”
DECON has become a part of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue in various ways.
Specific equipment and facilities have been rolled out, DECON training has been put in place, and a new fire station is being designed in line with DECON principles.
The FBU will continue to work with Tyne and Wear as it looks to make some of the further progress that remains to be made.
Tyne and Wear deputy chief fire officer Peter Heath thanked local FBU representatives Wayne Anderson and Chris Cook “for all their hard work alongside us in getting this event set up. It’s been so beneficial to our staff and without them it wouldn’t have been possible”.
It’s been so beneficial to our staff and without local FBU reps it wouldn’t have been possible
PROUD OF JOINT WORK
Tyne and Wear brigade secretary Wayne Anderson said local firefighters were proud to see that joint working between the FBU and TWFRS is leading to enhanced protection from contaminants and improvement of working practices.
“We’re looking forward to working together on the next phase,” he said. “As the DECON project evolves, our members can expect to see this work continue and grow.”
