Green anti-pollution pods presented to Fire and Rescue

Septeber 22, 2009

Firefighters in the Humber region will be presented with a new weapon for dealing with environmental incidents, a ‘green pod’ full of anti-pollution tools and materials, when their Chief Fire Officer, Frank Duffield, opens the Environment Agency’s new

Willerby offices on Wednesday 23 September.

The ‘pod’ has been provided by the Environment Agency, and will ensure that chemical and fuel spill incidents are dealt with as quickly as possible, before the pollution has a chance to spread.

Phil Young, of the Environment Agency’s environment management team, explains: “Our teams have a very large area to cover, and it can sometimes take us an hour or more to get to an environmental incident, whereas Humberside Fire and Rescue crews can often get there almost immediately.

“So the Fire and Rescue Service are well placed to take fast action to stop spills and other environmental problems getting worse. The ‘green pods’ can be carried on their front line support vehicles, and contain crucial tools such as pumps, plus booms, pads and ‘pillows’ of absorbent material to soak up oil and fuel spills, and extra large drums to contain hazardous chemical problems.”

The ‘pods’ are part of the multi-agency approach to working together in the area that will see the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service and Environment Agency staff co-operating even more closely across a range of challenges, from flooding to pollution. This working relationship will be cemented by the joint signing of a memorandum of understanding between both organisations.

“We’ve been working well together on major incidents for many years, including the serious chemical works fire in Beverley in 2003 and of course the floods of 2007,” Phil Young went on, “and we’re now setting up even closer links – for example, when heavy rain is forecast, Humberside Fire and Rescue will be linked into our systems so they can track the weather event alongside us and know where flooding is likely to happen.”

There are two ‘pods’, one at the East Hull Fire Station, and the other in Grimsby.

Phil Leake of Humberside Fire and Rescue said: “In 2008 the Fire Service manual ‘Environmental Protection’ was introduced to the Fire and Rescue services. One of its key recommendations was the need for close co-operation between Fire and Rescue services and the Environment Agency from the planning stage through to the recovery phase at operational incidents.

“A great deal of work has been carried out to develop an understanding that will enhance the relationship between both agencies in the future.”

The Fire and Rescue Service will also be co-operating on the use of their Detection, Identification and Monitoring vehicle, a mobile forensic laboratory for use at chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents, as well as liaising on the use of Fire and Rescue resources to help with flood prevention.