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The Pink - Issue 37 - 22 - Friday 23 September 2022

• Volunteers needed for appliance delivery to support Ukraine rescue efforts
• Women's Networking Day - Saturday 24th September 2022 - Final Schedule
• AFSA Awards
• National Operational Guidance 'Go Live' Date
• Your Operations Guidance is Coming
• Facial hair and FFP3 respirators
• The Fire Fighters Charity - Telephone Campaign
• Flu Vaccinations
• Mental Health First Aid Awareness Training - New Dates
• No Current Vacancies This Week
• Attachments
• AFSA Awards
• SFRS Football Team

Volunteers needed for appliance delivery to support Ukraine rescue efforts

The Service is donating two appliances to support the people of Ukraine and the emergency services in their rescue and relief efforts. We are asking for six volunteers to take these vehicles to the base in Poland to replace those that have been destroyed.

The volunteers will need to take the appliances to Ashford Fire Station in Kent for 9.00 am on Thursday 6 October where they will join the other services on the journey to Poland. They will then return on Thursday 13 October, but more information will be available when the drivers are selected.

Please send your expressions of interest to Andrew Kelcey (Andrew.kelcey@shropshirefire.gov.uk)  by 10.00 am on Monday 26 September. As we are expecting to receive a significant number of volunteers, please include answers to the following in your email:

What is your experience with LGV/HGV driving and our appliances?

Why would you like to volunteer?

What is your current role?

The six volunteers will not be paid any additional funds and will receive their normal salary. If the dates conflict with working shifts or hours (including On-call retaining fees) you will still receive your normal salary and your shifts will be covered.

Dan Quinn | Assistant Chief Fire Officer

Women's Networking Day - Saturday 24th September 2022 - Final Schedule

AFSA Awards

The Asian Fire Service Association (AFSA) Awards nominations – deadline 14 October 2022.

Would you like to nominate a colleague for any of the following awards?

• Partnership of the Year
• Equality Role Model of the Year
• Positive Action
• Champion of EDI
• Health and Inequalities
• Going the extra mile
• Outstanding contribution to charitable activity – team, individual or volunteer

Please see the attached poster to find out more.

Natalie Parkinson | Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Officer

National Operational Guidance 'Go Live' Date

National Operational Guidance (NOG) ‘Go Live Date’ is 5 October 2022.

This means SIPs and SOPs will be removed from MDTs and replaced with new NOG aligned Flashcards.  

Following numerous communications and roadshows, you will be familiar with the Ops Guidance Site and its contents.

All Incident Commanders have been enrolled on a LEO course from 1 August, with a completion date of no later than 15 September in readiness to go live.  

All teams will have access to a LEO Group presentation to help crews develop awareness. 

New tablets are in testing with a view to these supporting the embedding process.  In the interim, crews will utilise station issued tablets (4G) on appliances to access non-time critical guidance.  MDTs will continue to provide essential guidance via the new suite of Flashcards.  

We are planning to provide support via station visits and webinars through September and into October.  

Some short videos have been produced to help understand key terminology and elements of the product packs.  

Thank you for your continued support and professionalism as we make this essential improvement.

Should any stations have any questions, queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Station Manager Scott Bishop or a member of the NOG implementation team.

Adam Matthews | Head of Operations and Risk

Your Operations Guidance is Coming

SIPs and SOPs will be replaced by the new NOG aligned Flashcards on the 26 September 2022.

Below is the new interface.  This will provide access to PDF versions of the Flashcards, which will allow access to essential guidance, even when you have no connectivity. We still recommend using the Ops Guidance site to enjoy the full experience.

NOTE: - Until the end of the year the SOP button will remain on the MDT while a process is followed to replace it with a Flashcard button.

Going Live…

Your Operational Guidance will be Going Live on the 5 October 2022.

You will be expected to use the new guidance from this date onwards, and the Service will start the process of removing the documents and guidance that are no longer relevant or required, i.e. SIPs/SOPs and Brigade Orders.

Ops Guidance Assurance LEO Course

All Incident Commanders have completed the NOG assurance LEO course in readiness to go live on the 5 October 2022. All teams will have access to a LEO Group presentation, to help crews develop awareness, and will be included as part of the Incident Command training sessions delivered by Officers from October through to December 2022.

Tablets

New tablets are in testing with a view to these supporting the embedding process. In the interim, crews will utilise station issued tablets (4G) on appliances to access non-time critical guidance.

Support

We will continue to provide support via station visits and webinars throughout September and into October.

A series of short videos have been produced to help understand key terminology and elements of the product packs.

Thank you for your continued support and professionalism as we make this essential improvement. Should any stations have any questions, queries, or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Station Manager Scott Bishop or a member of the NOG implementation team.  Alternatively, you can use the Feedback button on the top bar of the site. Here you can provide feedback on all elements found within.

FAQs

Q. What if I don’t finish my LEO e-Learning package in time?

A. Future Incident Command sessions will be delivered using the LEO Group presentation.

Q. How do I find the new Flashcards on the MDT?

A. This is found using the existing SOP button on the MDT.

Scott Bishop | Operational Response

Facial hair and FFP3 respirators

All wearers of Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) are to note that when wearing half masks, filtering masks or BA (not surgical masks) they are to ensure a good fit of their masks and there should not be any hair growth between the skin and the mask seal surface, such as stubble beard growth, beard, goatee, moustache, sideburns or low hairline which crosses the respirator sealing surfaces. 

*Ensure that hair does not cross the respirator sealing surface.

The Fire Fighters Charity - Telephone Campaign

As the Service Co-ordinator for The Fire Fighters Charity, I just wanted to make you aware that we are starting a new telephone campaign commencing from 3 October, which is being run by the Telephone Agency Ethicall on our behalf, and they will be calling just over 1700 supporters in total.

The campaign is calling donors from various Fire and Rescue Services, including yours, who already regularly donate to the Charity, asking them to make the switch from their current payment method of Payroll to Direct Debit, but with no uplift request.

The purpose is to let them know that when they leave the Service, their payroll donation usually stops, and in turn we may lose touch with many of them, however lots of supporters are unaware their payments have ceased or that they can still access the Charity's services once they have retired.

In case of any query that you may receive, the number displayed by Ethicall will be 0117 3253 675 – this information is available on our website, along with a link to our FAQ’s, see link below.

https://www.firefighterscharity.org.uk/contact-us/why-have-i-received-a-call-from-ethicall

Katy Parsons | Individual Giving Officer | The Fire Fighters Charity

Flu Vaccinations

A further Flu Vaccination Clinic will take place on the following date:

15 November | Fir Meeting Room, Shrewsbury (13:30 – 15:30 hours)

Staff will be required to book a relevant slot for their vaccination. Appointments will be booked on a first-come, first-served basis.

To book onto a slot please email adele.mottershead@nhs.net with your preferred date and you will be allocated the next available slot. 

Due to the limited availability of appointments, and to ensure all staff have the opportunity to attend, we cannot accept block bookings and individuals will need to book individually.

We only have a limited number of flu vaccinations available, and we would therefore ask that staff who are eligible for a free flu vaccination utilise that service to allow for employees who are not eligible to take up this opportunity provided by the SFRS.

Individuals who are eligible for a free flu vaccination are:

• Are 50 and over (including those that will be 50 by 31 March 2023)
• Have underlying health conditions (as determined by their GP)
• Are pregnant
• Are in long stay residential care
• Receive a carer’s allowance, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be at risk if you get sick
• Live with someone who is more likely to get infections
• Frontline health or social care workers

If you are unsure as to whether you are eligible for a free flu vaccination, please consult your GP in the first instance before booking onto one of the Service’s flu clinics.

If you have any questions or queries, please contact Zoe Gittins on Zoe.Gittins@shropshirefire.gov.uk

Zoe Gittins | HR Officer

Mental Health First Aid Awareness Training - New Dates

As part of the Service’s continued Health and Wellbeing Plan and in order to continue to raise awareness of mental health, we have been offering some half-day introductory Mental Health First Aid Aware training sessions.  Several dates were released and have been filled, however, we are pleased to be able to offer spaces on one further date:

Event date:

• 06 October 2022 at 09:30-13:30 hours.

The training will be facilitated through a four-hour webinar (with plenty of breaks) and will aim to give:

• an understanding of what mental health is and how to challenge stigma;
• a basic knowledge of some common mental health issues;
• an introduction to looking after your own mental health and maintaining wellbeing; and
• confidence to support someone in distress or who may be experiencing a mental health issue.

Learning takes place through a mix of presentations, group discussions and workshop activities.

Everyone who completes the course gets:

• an MHFA manual to refer to whenever you need it;
• a workbook including a helpful toolkit to support their own mental health; and
• a certificate of attendance.

As there is a cost for participation, if you would like to attend the training, please:

• discuss with and obtain the agreement of your line manager;
• ensure you are able to attend your preferred date (if you have one); and
• email your expression of interest to jayne.turner@shropshirefire.gov.uk. 

Should you be unable to attend on the above date, or you are not allocated a place, I will contact you as soon as further dates are arranged.

Please note – the date mentioned above will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Jayne Turner | Training and Development Coordinator

No Current Vacancies This Week

Attachments

AFSA Awards

SFRS Football Team

The Pink

The Pink is also available electronically on The Portal or can be emailed to you if you contact Admin Support on EXT 1260.

Reminder

All colleagues are reminded that the information in this staff newsletter is designed to improve internal communications and support effective operation of our Service. Items within it are intended solely for Elected Members and staff of Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority and not for onward transmission. © Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service 2014

IT and Communications queries and faults

All faults and queries with IT and communications should be directed to the ICT Service Desk.

When you require assistance or support please click on the ICT Portal Tile located on the SharePoint Portal homepage and click on the 'contact us' tab. You will then have the option to 'submit an incident' or 'request a service' using the corresponding blue or green button. Please use 'submit an incident' to log any faults or 'request a service' to ask for a service or program that you have not previously used or had access to.

When submitting an incident please make sure you select the category that comes closest to the fault you are experiencing, and that you describe the fault in details and upload any relevant screen shots.