Member Article

Cleveland Fire Brigade's company to partner with Whitby fishing industry trainers

Cleveland Fire Brigade’s Risk Management Service has partnered with Whitby & District Fishing Industry Training School to form a new training enterprise in Whitby and Middlesbrough.

Starting in the New Year, the Brigade’s rapidly-expanding community interest company (CIC) and the training school will work together to deliver a Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) STCW-95 Fire Prevention and Fire-Fighting course.

Both the Fishing Industry Training School’s facilities in Whitby and the Brigade’s Learning & Development Centre in Grangetown, Middlesbrough will be used with the course delivered by highly-trained instructors.

The Brigade’s Centre is one of the leading fire and safety training centres in the country. It has a two storey firehouse, portable fire extinguisher area and a specialist fire rig to deliver training that includes the wearing of breathing apparatus in a variety of hostile conditions.

Whitby Fishing Industry Training School is an award-winning organisation and approved training provider for the MCA and the Sea Fish Industry Authority.

The new partnership will deliver the theoretical and practical training that makes up the STCW-95 fire-fighting course - a mandatory requirement for crew members on vessels of more than 24m and required by many of the offshore wind companies.

The courses will cover personal survival techniques, fire prevention and fighting, emergency situations, evacuation procedures, sea survival, first aid and personal safety.

Demand is already high with some courses throughout 2014 fully booked so additional dates are being added.

Cleveland Fire Brigade is the first fire authority in the country to set up a CIC to provide a safety service to the private sector as an innovative way to generate income and help to safeguard the fire and rescue service. It provides consultancy, risk assessment, emergency planning and response in addition to training in order to protect personnel, assets, local communities and prevent disruption to production.

All profits are reinvested back into community projects that improve safety for thousands of families in the Tees area

Chief Fire Officer Ian Hayton said: “We are very pleased to be supporting the Fishing Industry Training School. People are expected to work in very challenging environments and, as a result of providing fire and rescue services to protect one of the busiest ports in the UK at Teesport, CFB Risk Management has the expertise and experience to provide high quality training to enhance workers’ safety.

“We are delighted that our Risk Management Service is winning an increasing number of important contracts across the UK and is well ahead of its targets. We are now looking to Europe and the Middle East.”

Anne Hornigold, chief executive of the Whitby & District Fishing Industry Training School, said: “We have searched for a fire-fighting facility for some time and are thrilled to have agreed the partnership with CFB Risk Management.

“After viewing the facilities we are confident of building an excellent working relationship and ensuring that as many seafarers as possible are successful in achieving this essential training.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .