West Midlands fire chief speaks about first seven weeks in post

Oliver Lee OBE, who was appointed chief of West Midlands Fire Service following the sudden death of Chief Fire Officer Wayne Brown, speaks about his first seven weeks in the post, including how he is keen to be operational in his new role. And the Home Office has announced a £4m investment in technology to help police forces fight knife crime, including increasing the number of live facial recognition units for the Met Police.

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Following the sudden death of Chief Fire Officer Wayne Brown in January, former Royal Marine, Oliver Lee OBE was appointed to help West Midlands Fire Service move on during this difficult time.

Catherine Levin recently spoke with Oliver to find out how his first seven weeks in the post have been. More via Emergency Services Times

College of Paramedics announces results of 2024 College Elections

The College of Paramedics has announced the results of its 2024 College Elections, which saw 19 candidates stand across the five trustee positions, and four for the three Paramedic Council seats.

The college’s trustees are legally responsible for the organisation as a charity and have an oversight role. More via College of Paramedics

Scotland’s fire services at breaking point

John McKenzie, Scottish secretary of the FBU, outlines how sustained underinvestment the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has had a major impact on the ability of the service to respond effectively to serious and life-threatening incidents.

A consultation on the future of the fire and rescue service in Scotland has now been launched. More via Morning Star

Ambulance service accepts mistakes in dead mum’s care

A woman who died following a heart attack would probably have survived if paramedics had not wrongly told her she did not need to go to hospital, an ambulance service has accepted.

Lauren Smith, from Wolverhampton, was found dead at home in January last year with her two-year-old daughter sitting on her trying to wake her up. More via BBC News

Government pledges more funding to fight knife crime

As part of Operation Sceptre week, the Home Office announced a £4m investment in technology to help police forces fight knife crime, including increasing the number of live facial recognition units for the Met Police.

Most of the £4m pot will be devoted to research, development and evaluation of new technologies which can detect knives carried from a distance and hand-held or body-worn systems which can be operated by individual officers. More via Emergency Services Times

UK police could get Ghostbusters-style backpack devices to halt ebike getaways

Police officers in Britain could be armed with Ghostbusters-style devices that fire electromagnetic rays to shut down the engines of ebikes being used in a crime.

Gavin Stephens, chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said the weapon was in development and could be months away from being available, though it is expected to be longer than that. More via The Guardian