Low turnout and a red wave marks the fourth PCC elections | Police help fire crews in ‘vital’ training

Last week saw 16 new Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) take up post after people in England and Wales went to the polls, in an election where turnout was low. And police officers from Plymouth have been supporting firefighters in lifelike training scenarios as part of Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service’s level one incident commander course.

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Low turnout and a red wave marks the fourth PCC elections

The electorate went to the polls in England and Wales last week to vote for Police and Crime Commissioners, and while Labour now holds the majority of PCC positions, the turnout was low and in Wales didn’t go over 18 per cent in any of its four PCC areas.

This year sees 16 new PCCs take up post. More via Emergency Services Times

Yorkshire Ambulance Service highlights importance of timely discussions about death and dying

To mark Dying Matters Week (6-12 May 2024), Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) is focusing on the importance of conversations between healthcare professionals and their patients, relatives and carers about death and dying. More via YAS

CNC officer breaks world record in charity fundraiser

Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) Authorised Firearms Officer (AFO) PC Ady Bebb successfully broke the Guinness World Record for ‘Fastest Marathon dressed as a Road Vehicle’ during the London Marathon recently.

Ady ran the marathon in support of Young Lives vs Cancer, a charity that has supported his daughter since she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in November 2022. More via Civil Nuclear Police Authority

Fire chief calls for strengthening of harassment laws for those in public service

Giving evidence to a committee of MPs, West Sussex fire chief, Sabrina Cohen-Hatton said that the threshold for involving the police does not match the harassment that senior leaders experience and that MPs should consider changes to the law.

In the evidence session held on 1 May, Cohen-Hatton answered questions about culture and values. She is the improvement lead for the National Fire Chiefs Council. More via Emergency Services Times

Police help fire crews in ‘vital’ training

Police officers from Plymouth have been supporting firefighters in lifelike training scenarios that included a brawl next to a burning car and people trapped inside a blazing building.

The training was part of Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service’s level one incident commander course. More via BBC News

Coroner issues warning over year-round ambulance delays in England

A senior coroner has issued an official warning about the “significant disruption” being caused to ambulance services as vehicles wait for hours to transfer patients into hospital, highlighting that the problem now happens all year round rather than only in winter.

David Ridley, the senior coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon, has written to the UK health secretary, Victoria Atkins, spelling out that delays in England are being caused because of a lack of community care packages for hospital patients well enough to be discharged. More via The Guardian