False Alarms Consultation: Firefighters respond to 30,000 workplace false alarms each year

Around 64,000 hours of firefighters’ time is needlessly spent each year checking out false alarms from workplaces, figures from the latest Scottish Fire and Rescue Service consultation show.

The Service mobilises on average two fire appliances and nine firefighters to each of the 28,479 false alarms – equating to around 57,000 unnecessary blue light journeys annually.

Most alarms are activated by faults or other causes like steam or burnt food with only two per cent actually involving a fire, most of which are put out before the arrival of crews.

The information has been shared by the national Service as part of its consultation on how to safely reduce call outs to false alarms, known as Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals (UFAS).

Assistant Chief Officer Stuart Stevens says businesses and partners can play a key role in reducing the figures and called on them to get involved in the consultation.

“The advantages of getting duty holders to accept their legal responsibilities and reducing these callouts are clear” said ACO Stevens, “Making this change means we can free up firefighters’ time, be even more responsive in genuine emergencies and use SFRS resources more effectively.

 “We can also carry out more training and fire prevention activity, as well as realising the related benefits of improving road safety and reducing our carbon impact. These unnecessary blue light journeys bring risks to our crews, other road users and pedestrians as well as impacting the environment with an estimated 575 tonnes of carbon emissions produced – the equivalent of heating 230 homes a year.

“Businesses will also experience less disruption as they no longer need to wait for us to attend to give the all clear after a false alarm.”

The twelve-week consultation – which seeks views on three proposed options – is underway and while early analysis is encouraging with many members of the public taking part it also indicates a low response rate from the businesses and workplaces that are potentially most affected by the proposed changes.

Assistant Chief Officer Stuart Stevens added: “It may be that these businesses and organisations are taking their time to fully consider the proposed options and I’m also aware last month we were just coming out of a holiday period which is why we’re issuing this appeal for those most affected to take part in the consultation and play their part in helping to shape the future response model.”

The consultation brings the SFRS into line with the majority of UK fire and rescue services response to workplace automatic fire alarms (AFAs) explained Assistant Chief Officer Stevens: “The legal responsibility for dealing with an AFA alert lies with the duty holder of a property and most UK fire and rescue services now seek confirmation of a fire before attending. It’s now time for the SFRS make this change too.”

ACO Stevens added: “Each of the options, which have all been risk assessed, will see a significant reduction in the number of UFAS calls we attend. We want to know what those most affected think of our three proposed options I urge them to have their say on how they think we can best use our resources to keep them, their families and their communities even safer.”

The consultation document ‘Time for Change: Reducing Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals’ (UFAS) and survey can be accessed online at /consultations/ufas-consultation.aspx until Monday, October 11.

A report based on analysis of the consultation responses – including a preferred option – will be considered by the SFRS Board in December 2021. Any changes to service delivery will be implemented in a carefully managed process and in partnership with directly affected stakeholders.

The Big Dog Walk goes to Glasgow!

Event designed in a Covid safe environment

Touchpoint Live Media, the organisers of the hugely popular DogFest events, are delighted to announce that their Big Dog Walk Series is coming to Chatelherault Country Park,  Glasgow on October 10th, our first in Scotland.

The Big Dog Walk is a unique opportunity for dog owners and their families to walk together in the stunning Chatelherault Country Park. Dogs and their owners can choose from either a 2k, 5k or 10k route and walk times have been staggered this year for the comfort and safety of all taking part. 

Brand new this year, there will be a Puppy’s First Socialisation Walk, this will be a 2k walk for those with little legs and is a fabulous opportunity to introduce your new addition to other dogs and socialise them in a safe organised way.

If your dog is not one for crowds you can join our ‘Beat the Rush’ walk for dogs who love their walkies, but may be a but more anxious s and prefer having their own space. You and your dog will be left to explore the walk at your own pace on our first walk of the day.

Our walks aim to bring together dog lovers and dogs to encourage socialisation and exercise. The walk will be the best walk ever for dogs as you join hundreds of  other pups and their owners on a beautiful route with photo points and pit stops on the route for you and your dog to stop and have a drink and a snack at.

Back at the Event Village there will be plenty to do and see including  shopping, expert advice, the fun dog show, and plenty of festival food and drink. 

We are delighted this year to have the Dogs Trust on board as our Official Charity Partner who will be bringing along their Temptation Alley to challenge your dog. Participants can also raise more money for any charity of their choice upon signing up.

Prices are £10.50 per adult and children 5-16 years are free of charge. For more information and to book tickets, visit The Big Dog Walk.

Nicole Cooper, Managing Director of Touchpoint Live Media, says: “The Big Dog Walk is a wonderful opportunity for all dog lovers to get out and walk with the four-legged member of the family.

“We are so thrilled to be hosting walks again this year at these six beautiful locations, and very excited to be bringing these events to Scotland for the first time. These walks are a brilliant way to all get together in the great outdoors with all the family, and we cannot wait to welcome everyone.”

Students fly the Edinburgh College flag at WorldSkills UK competition

Four Edinburgh College students have qualified for national WorldSkills UK finals having triumphed in a series of qualifying heats in their respective fields of study.

Damian Tchorzewski and Liam Ward have qualified for the Automotive Technology final, while Ben Nicolson and Corrie Kettrick have qualified for the Stonemasonry final.

Automotive Technology

Damian, who recently studied Electric/Hybrid Vehicle System Repair and Replacement, and Liam, who studies Light Vehicle Repair and Maintenance Principles, reached the finals following a qualifying process.

Stage one saw the duo sit a test that consisted of 30 questions in 30 minutes. The highest scorers from regions across the UK then progressed to stage two where they were tasked with completing five challenges on a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) program, under timed conditions.

Damian and Liam were among the six best performers in this qualifier and will compete in the national final taking place at Cardiff and Vale College on Friday 19th November.

Stonemasonry

This year’s Stonemasonry qualifiers – SkillBuild – did not take place due to COVID-19, however Ben and Corrie will have the chance to experience competition as they have been selected to participate in the national final.

The duo, who study at the College’s Forthside Construction facility, will travel to the National Construction College in Norfolk on 16-18 November where they will complete a set of stone-cutting challenges in competition with two Stonemasons students from Bath College.

Scott Warden, Head of the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment at Edinburgh College, said: “Congratulations to Damian, Liam, Ben and Corrie on qualifying for their WorldSkills finals – it is an outstanding achievement.

“WorldSkills UK, and skills competitions in general, are a fantastic way for our students and apprentices to network with peers from across the country, to test their skills in a new and challenging environment, and to boost their confidence.

“We’re delighted that four of our students will experience that this year and have the opportunity to be named among the best in the UK in their field. We wish them the best of luck.”

Keep the Lifeline: Holyrood votes to oppose Universal Credit cut

Yesterday, Lothian MSP, and Scottish Greens Co-leader, Lorna Slater joined the overwhelming majority of MSPs in voting to oppose the cruel Tory £20 cut to universal credit that is being inflicted by Westminster.

The cut will impact tens of thousands of families in Lothian, cutting their income by £1,040 per year.

Lothian MSP and Scottish Greens Co-leader Lorna Slater said: “The Tories have shown their true colours. This is one of the biggest social security cuts ever seen in this country and could plunge tens of thousands of families in Lothian into despair.

“It is particularly unwelcome at a time when so many people are still struggling with the impact of the pandemic.

“£20 a week may not be a lot to the Prime Minister and his colleagues, but for far too many families it is crucial to their budgeting and their wellbeing. For many people across this city, it could be the difference between a warm home and a cold one this winter

“Many people claiming universal credit are in fact in work. The so-called uplift was not an act of generosity, but an admission of failure – an admission that the system had been so damaged by cuts that it was no longer able to provide adequate support for people needing help with their incomes for reasons beyond their control.

“The cut is symbolic of a UK government that knows the price of some things but the value of nothing. It shows why Scotland needs the powers to chart a different path that prioritises human need and builds a fairer, greener recovery for all.”

Holyrood Social Security Minister, Edinburgh Northern & Leith MSP Ben Macpherson, closed yesterday’s debate:

#KeepTheLifeline

Tackling coronavirus in Scotland: £25 million to improve ventilation

Business premises will be able to access a £25 million package to improve ventilation and reduce the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission.

Grants will target a wide range of high risk settings where people come into close proximity, including restaurants, bars and gyms, with support available to help companies undertake work such as the installation of carbon dioxide monitors and altering windows and vents.

An expert advice group, chaired by Professor Tim Sharpe from the University of Strathclyde, unanimously recommended that businesses should be supported to improve ventilation. The Group was established in August to advise how enhanced ventilation can help reduce transmission of the virus.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “As we step away from other mitigations, improved ventilation will play a significant role in reducing transmission indoors, support the sustained opening of society and contribute to our wider Covid recovery.

“Many of the businesses we are targeting have been closed for long periods and it is right that they are helped to undertake this work. We are allocating up to £25 million to assist small and medium-sized enterprises and expect to begin making payments in November.

“The package will initially target higher risk sectors where people spend significant amounts of time in close proximity to each other, such as hospitality and leisure, and will make indoor settings safer, especially through the winter months.”

Further details of the grants, including eligibility and timing, will be published on findbusinesssupport.gov.scot in due course.

Rare Birds Books opens its first female-centric bookstore – and welcomes more than 1,500 visitors over first weekend

Best-selling book club has launched to unprecedented success in the heart of Stockbridge

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Home of female fiction, Rare Birds Books has launched Scotland’s first female-centric bookshop, right in the heart of Edinburgh’s Stockbridge.

In a bold move that saw the globally beloved book club show resilience and innovation in a time of retail uncertainty, founder Rachel Wood welcomed over 1,500 visitors into the shop over the first trading weekend.

Opened on 6th August, at 13 Raeburn Place in Stockbridge, Rare Birds Books saw over 2,000 customers during its first month, selling around 3,000 books – proof that the nation’s love of reading has not abated following the end of lockdown.

In an even further show of local solidarity, Edinburgh shoppers came out in force, with one of the shop’s top four best-sellers over the last month being Luckenbooth, a haunting novel by Scotland-born Jenni Fagen.

A story set in Edinburgh, it is joined by Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, which were both past Rare Birds Book Club picks, as well as Things Remembered and Things Forgotten by Kyoko Nakajima. 

Besides the books that customers from around the UK have flocked to purchase, the store has also had to re-stock its now iconic tote bag and a number of the newly launched scented candles, which are made to be paired with whatever genre you are reading. ‘True Crime’ scent and ‘Writer’s Block’ have both flown off the shelves and are looking to be Christmas must-haves this year.

Book club founder and shop owner, Rachel Wood, said: “The store was always supposed to be the physical representation of our beloved book club, and we are thrilled our rare birds have already shown so much support in these initial days of launch.

“So far online and in-store sales are neck and neck, so we like to think that our neighbours are enjoying visiting us in person, whilst the rest of our fans around the world continue to join us virtually month on month as we discuss our club picks.

“Now that we are allowed to start hosting events, we will be welcoming in readers from all over for shopping evenings, author events and in-person book club sessions – it’s going to be amazing!”

Set to have its best Christmas yet, the book club you can’t read without, just got better! For more information visit:

https://rarebirdsbookclub.com/

‘Immensely honoured’ Alexander McCall Smith receives Edinburgh Award

Internationally-acclaimed Edinburgh author Alexander McCall Smith CBE was presented with the prestigious Edinburgh Award 2020 in a ceremony at the City Chambers last night [Tues 28 September].

The coveted annual award honours an outstanding individual who has made a positive impact on the city and gained national and international recognition for Edinburgh.

Surrounded by family, friends and invited guests, Mr McCall Smith received an engraved Loving Cup from Lord Provost Frank Ross and was was reunited with a set of his handprints preserved in stone in the City Chambers quadrangle.

The Edinburgh Award, first presented to fellow city author Ian Rankin in 2007, celebrates Mr McCall Smith’s bestselling writing, legal career and academic work.

Emeritus Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh, Mr McCall Smith became a hugely successful novelist through his The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, The Sunday Philosophy Club and 44 Scotland Street book series, the latter of which is set in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town.

He is now one of the world’s best-loved writers for both adults and children and his books are published in 47 languages.

Mr McCall Smith is the 14th person to receive the award, succeeding Ann Budge (2019) and fellow writers Ian Rankin OBE (2007) and JK Rowling OBE (2008), as well as fellow academics Professor Peter Higgs (2011) and Sir Timothy O’Shea (2017).

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Frank Ross said: “It’s an honour and a pleasure to present one of the Capital’s most prestigious accolades, the Edinburgh Award, to Alexander McCall Smith.

“His bestselling novels continue to draw positive, worldwide attention to the city and I’m delighted that fans of his work can now enjoy seeing his handprints immortalised in stone on our very own Edinburgh Award ‘walk of fame’.

Alexander McCall Smith said: “I am immensely honoured by this award and by the kindness of the city in conferring it on me.

“I have spent my entire adult life in this city and would not wish to live elsewhere. It is a wonderful city in every respect and I am so proud to be one of its citizens.”

As part of the Edinburgh Award ceremony, Alan Spence, the Edinburgh Makar, read a specially commissioned work celebrating Alexander McCall Smith.

Enforcement of Scotland’s vaccine certification scheme delayed

Higher risk venues covered by the Coronavirus vaccine certification scheme will have two-and-a-half weeks to test and adapt the new scheme in their own premises before the measures are legally enforced.

The scheme will come into effect as planned on Friday October 1st in Scotland meaning people will have to show proof of their status to  enter some venues and events – but legal enforcement will not come into effect until Monday 18 October.

People attending a range of  late night venues and larger  indoor and outdoor live events, such as music festivals or large sporting events, will be required to show staff their Covid status. This will be done via the Covid Status App on their mobile device or using the paper certificate.

However Scotland’s Night Time Industries Association has launched a legal challenge.

Members of the NTIA have instructed legal counsel to serve a writ on Scottish Government challenging the Covid regulations being put in place to mandate Covid Passports. The NTIA are waiting to hear from the court with regard to hearing date in the coming days.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “This is a very limited scheme and we hope this will allow businesses to remain open and prevent any further restrictions as we head into autumn and winter.

“The two-and-a-half weeks – effectively a grace period – before legal enforcement applies will allow businesses to test, adapt and build confidence in their own practical arrangements to comply with the scheme.

“We know from expert public health analysis that we must do all we can to stem the rise in cases and reduce the pressure on the NHS.

“Vaccine certificates have a role to play as part of a wider package of measures. They add a further layer of protection in certain higher risk settings.

“I also want to ensure that as many people get vaccinated as possible and particularly to increase uptake in the younger age cohort, so anything that helps to incentivise that is helpful.

“Scotland is not unique in introducing such an approach. Certification schemes are in place across Europe, including Ireland and France, and the Welsh Government is also planning similar measures.”

People in Scotland are now being encouraged to download the NHS Scotland Covid Status App from Thursday September 30th, ahead of the vaccine certification scheme going live the following day. People can also use a paper certificate or the downloadable PDF available via NHS inform.     

The Scottish Government today published further guidance for businesses and venues on the scheme which will assist them in making the necessary preparations for the scheme coming into force.

There are currently no plans to introduce certification for the wider hospitality industry but this will be kept under review over the autumn and winter months.

Exemptions to the scheme include under 18s, participants in vaccine trials, as well as people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and people working or performing in the venues.

Officials are currently working across the UK to help ensure people vaccinated outside Scotland can still enter the venues affected with proof of their vaccine status.

The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) has welcomed yesterday’s announcement by the First Minister that Scotland’s new vaccine passport system will not be enforced until more than two weeks after it is introduced.

Customers going to nightclubs and several other larger event settings will need proof that they have had two doses of a Covid vaccine from 5am on Friday.

Colin Wilkinson, managing director of the SLTA, said: “This is of course welcome news but it would have been better if we didn’t have Covid passports at all. We remain opposed to the scheme – it is a most unwelcome development for the licensed trade and as we have previously stated, it has happened without any meaningful consultation with the industry.

“However, they are being introduced so we implore the Scottish Government to ensure that the technology utilised is robust, reliable and easy to use for customers and the people tasked with policing the scheme.”

Responding to the Scottish Government’s pledge to provide £25 million to help smaller Scottish businesses improve their ventilation systems, Mr Wilkinson said: “This is excellent news as it will help licensed premises improve their ventilation and ensure the safety of customers and staff.”

The NHS Scotland Covid Status App will be available for download from NHS Inform: 

https://www.nhsinform.scot/

St James Quarter gives a sneak peek into life ‘Behind the Quarter’

As the buzz of the official opening of St James Quarter continues, St James Quarter has provided a rare insight into life behind the scenes, showcasing some of the brands’ located at The Quarter and an update on their story so far.  

Episode 3 of the ‘Behind the Quarter’ series features exclusive interviews with some of the brands that are a first for Scotland, including Pull & Bear, Stradivarius and & Other Stories. Viewers can also enjoy watching snippets of shoppers and colleagues enjoying Edinburgh’s newest retail district.

The video reflects on what guests can now enjoy at the 1.7 million sq ft development which, once fully complete, will feature a shopping galleria with 80 different retailers, an enticing mix of restaurants, Scotland’s first W Edinburgh hotel, a boutique Everyman Cinema, a Roomzzz Aparthotel, residential apartments and parking for 1,600 cars.  

Nick Peel, Managing Director at St James Quarter opens the video sharing details on life at The Quarter so far before moving onto some of the first guests to enter the galleria and their initial impressions and reactions to the brand-new shopping district.

Representatives from LEGO, Rituals, Krispy Kreme, Superdrug, Bonnie & Wild, The Kooples, Lane7 and Tortilla are also interviewed in the video sharing exclusive details of what they have been up to since opening their doors and what customers can expect over the coming months.

The full video can be streamed here.

To download this teaser content, click here.