Figen Murray meets PM on 7th anniversary of Manchester Arena bombing

Figen Murray OBE, mother of Manchester Arena terrorist attack victim Martyn Hett, has completed her walk from Manchester Arena to 10 Downing Street, in a bid to raise awareness about the delayed progress of Martyn’s Law in parliament. And police are being instructed to consider making fewer arrests because of the lack of space in prisons, a letter from the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) circulated last week shows.

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Yesterday, Figen Murray OBE, mother of Manchester Arena terrorist attack victim Martyn Hett, completed her walk from Manchester Arena to 10 Downing Street. This journey marks the anniversary and aims to raise awareness about the delayed progress of Martyn’s Law (Terrorism: Protection of Premises Bill) in parliament. More via Emergency Services Times

First ever World Fire Congress held in Washington DC

Over 50 countries came together for the first ever World Fire Congress in Washington DC last week. Hosted by the United States (US), the Congress (7th – 8th May) was aimed at increasing international collaboration on the growing challenges faced by fire and rescue services across the globe.

At the close of the event, the US handed over the reins to the United Kingdom, with NFCC taking responsibility for organising the next World Fire Congress in 2026. More via NFCC

Secamb to pool resources with neighbouring trusts

The South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) has announced a collaboration with four of its neighbours in a bid to drive down costs and improve patient care.

It will work with the East of England Ambulance Service, the London Ambulance Service, the South Central Ambulance Service and South Western Ambulance Service.

Called the Southern Ambulance Services Collaboration, the trusts will pool resources in areas such as buying equipment and training staff. More via BBC News

National wellbeing programme receives Police STAR funding

The National Police Wellbeing Service has announced it has been awarded a Police STAR funding grant to conduct a comparative study of its sleep, fatigue and recovery biometrics programme in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University.

Numerous surveys and studies show that sleep and fatigue are huge issues in policing and can be the catalyst for a number of other issues affecting physical and mental health. More via Emergency Services Times

Police urged to consider making fewer arrests

Police are being instructed to consider making fewer arrests because of the lack of space in prisons.

A letter from the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) circulated last week urges chief constables to think about “pausing” so-called “non-priority arrests”.

It also suggests halting planned operations where a large number of arrests could take place to “ease the pressure within the criminal justice system”. More via BBC News

Avon Fire and Rescue Service still not free from technical faults, says inspectorate

Following an inspection in mid 2023, Avon Fire and Rescue Service was issued with an accelerated cause of concern relating to its mobilisation system, which isn’t reliable and crashes during emergency 999 calls, according to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

Following a second revisit in March 2024, the inspectorate has now issued an update on the situation, stating that while the service’s mobilisation system is ‘more reliable,’ it still isn’t ‘free from technical faults.’ More via HMICFRS