Latest news from across the emergency services

Every morning, Emergency Services Times combs a significant list of sources to bring you the sector’s freshest news stories. Compiled into a single article, this daily news digest is an easy, single point of reference for emergency services news, saving you the time and effort of searching yourself. Don’t forget to bookmark this page and check back daily to stay abreast of the latest goings on in the emergency services sector.

Force overhauls approach to 999 response after admitting it ‘simply was not good enough’

West Midlands Police says that it is now one of the best performing police forces in answering calls for help within just 10 seconds after spending the past 11 months transforming the way it answers 999 and 101 calls.

Police officers are now arriving at the most serious incidents in an average of 12 minutes which is two minutes faster than in March 2023. More via Emergency Services Times

Lancashire Police get the go-ahead for ‘urgent’ £75m headquarters redevelopment

Planning permission has been granted for Lancashire Constabulary’s £75m HQ redevelopment to create a cutting edge and fit for purpose central operating base.

Lancashire Constabulary now has the green light to proceed with the largest investment in police infrastructure in Lancashire in a generation. More via Lancashire Post

Welsh Government vows intervention following damning fire service culture review

The Welsh Government has vowed to intervene to “oversee sustainable change and prevent a recurrence” of these failures.

Addressing the Senedd Cymru (Welsh Patliament) last week, the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership, Hannah Blythyn, said it wasn’t a case of if the Welsh Government becomes involved, rather “how and to what extent”. More via Emergency Services Times

NI public sector strike: Health bosses warn of ‘profound impact’

The chief executives of Northern Ireland’s five regional health trusts, as well as the head of the ambulance service, say Thursday’s planned strike action will have a “profound impact” on services.

Unions say it could be the biggest strike in Northern Ireland’s history.

As a result, only minimal and emergency services would be available on Thursday. More via BBC News

NFCC supports support Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service to lead the way in tackling poor mental health in the community

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS), with the support of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), has become the first fire and rescue service in the UK to become a signatory of the refreshed Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health – a public pledge that they have both a commitment and an action plan to tackle preventable poor mental health in their community. More via NFCC

Child sexual abuse and exploitation analysis launched

The Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme (VKPP) has released a comprehensive report providing the first detailed overview of reported incidents of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) crimes in England and Wales.

Based on datasets collected from 42 police forces, this national snapshot gives insight and analysis into the scale and nature of CSAE, trends in offending, including crime types, where they were committed, and presents profiles of both victims and perpetrators. More via Emergency Services Times

Antarctic Fire Angels complete expedition to the South Pole

After four years of planning and intense training, the Antarctic Fire Angels have completed their expedition to the South Pole to demonstrate that women are capable of achieving anything they put their minds to.

The idea for the Antarctic Fire Angels (AFA) first started at the 2019 Women in the Fire Service (WFS) Training and Development event, sparked by Sophie Montange’s empowering message about showcasing women’s capabilities. More via Emergency Services Times

Justice Secretary highlights increasing police numbers in Dumfries and Galloway

Scotland’s Justice Secretary has pointed out that there are five more police officers in Dumfries and Galloway than there were 12 months ago.

The level of policing in the region has come under the spotlight in recent months, with the council recently agreeing to write to Holyrood to demand more financial support for the emergency services. More via Daily Record