A big thank you to the individuals working tirelessly to protect our communities
Warwickshire County Council (WCC) and Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service (WFRS) have expressed their gratitude to the firefighters who have attended hundreds of incidents over an exceptionally hot summer.
Soaring temperatures and long periods of dry weather have led to an influx in fires, with firefighters often working for hours in the gruelling heat to get blazes under control. On top of this, the warmer weather has led to an increase in call-outs for wildfires and open water rescues.
The firefighters are supported by a team working hard behind the scenes to ensure help is dispatched and co-ordinated effectively, including the individuals working in fire control. The combined efforts of WFRS are integral to protecting Warwickshire’s communities from the potentially devastating effects of fire.
Analysis of the exceptional weather conditions seen this summer gives some indication of the scale of the challenge that firefighters were facing. Nationally, July was the driest July recorded since 1885. Met Office data shows that the average temperature in the Midlands region was 18.1oC, up 1.6oC on the monthly average; there were 200 hours of sunshine, nearly double the monthly median; and the 23.1mm of rainfall seen was only 35% of what is normally seen during July in the region.*
Andy Crump, Portfolio Holder for Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service at WCC, said:
“I’d like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the brave firefighters at Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service. We have seen them turn out time and time again, working unrelentingly in arduous conditions, to keep our communities safe. Thank you to the whole team for the amazing work you have done this summer and continue to do all year round.”
Ben Brook, Chief Fire Officer at WFRS, said:
“Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service is here every day to keep our communities safe. This summer has been exceptionally challenging with the protracted periods of extreme weather. Not only have we experienced a significant increase in our activity, but our people have also had to work incredibly hard in dry and hot conditions.
“I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone in the service who has played their part in keeping people safe across the county.”
As well as WCC and WFRS, members of the community have come forward to express their gratitude.
Elizabeth on Facebook commented saying “Thank you for extinguishing a fire that was so close to our house today. Fantastic team that arrived!”
Richard also took the time to message his thanks, saying “Hi, I would like to say a big thafnk you for your response today at Warwick services when my trailer caught fire. Thanks again, much appreciated.”
Andy messaged saying “You’re doing a fantastic job, fair play to you.”
Other comments included:
“Thank you so much for your help earlier, could have been a lot worse”
“Thank you everyone involved for your brave efforts - it was scary enough to see the smoke from our house some distance away.”
“Well done to everyone involved in trying to save the woodland, your efforts are truly appreciated.”
*Averages calculated on a mean figure using the data from 1961-1990 as a comparative measure