Showing posts with label fire brigade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fire brigade. Show all posts

Wednesday 2 August 2017

Additional night time fire patrols at Forum House, Wembley Park


FirstPort, the property services company for Forum House at Wembley Park have issued the following advice to leaseholders and residents:


Fire Safety and ACM Cladding on part of Forum House
The following information has been issued to keep you fully abreast of the current position in respect of the building in the unlikely event of a fire at the property.
Following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower we have carried out some reviews of the building that we manage, in line with Government (DCLG) advice.
Through this review it has been established that some of the trim on the roof section and parts of the facia of The North Core (above the reception) are partially clad in a silver aluminium cladding material which is referred to as ACM. This relates to a small proportion of the building façade and at this juncture should not give rise to undue concern albeit that we are considering the options and actions open to us.
On receiving this information we contacted the Fire and Rescue Services and also notified the building’s insurers to establish if any immediate action was required. Initial findings are that no immediate action is necessary.
You may have heard it reported that the Government has produced an updated document, setting out fresh guidelines for testing procedure/s. This includes testing the entire cladding system and not just the exterior cladding material.
This is important as the systems behind this cladded facia can be key to the structure’s performance in the event of a fire, and the nature of this system can differ significantly from building to building.
As a result we need to consider the further guidance provided from these results before we can definitively conclude if any action or replacement is to be required on Forum House.
In the interim we pro-actively invited the Fire Brigade to carry out an inspection of the building in order to ascertain if there was anything further we can do to enhance fire safety at Forum House. Thankfully they were happy with the processes and strategy we have in place and were satisfied that we operate the development correctly and efficiently in terms of fire safety.
Nevertheless, taking into account the guidance issued by the Fire Brigade at other affected comparable buildings, we have instructed additional patrols of the building by the onsite staff during the night time and I can confirm that these have begun. These will stay in place until further notice.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind you all that a “stay put” policy is in operation at Forum House in the unlikely event of a fire. Homes and developments such as Forum House are built with fire compartmentation, which is designed to resist the passage of fire between the walls and doors giving ample time for the fire services to arrive.
In this way, the fire service are given plenty of time to assess risks and ensure that, if needed, any evacuation is managed in a safe and orderly fashion.
In addition, the communal corridors and escape passages at Forum House are equipped with smoke ventilation systems to improve conditions for means of escape and fire-fighting by limiting obscuration and toxicity in the common escape routes. These systems are tested regularly and in line with manufacturers recommendations.
We understand that there may be concerns around the “stay put” policy at this time. The following remains the guidance from the London Fire Brigade:
“If there is a fire inside your apartment leave, closing the door behind you and call 999. If there is a fire elsewhere in the building, and not inside your own apartment their advice is to stay put. The Fire Service will carry out an evacuation of the other apartments if necessary.”
Further information can be found on http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/staying-in-or-going- out.asp.
We also ask that residents ensure they remove anything that is combustible on their balconies. This is of course a stipulation in your lease but as is apparent from walking around the building there are a number of residents that continue to breach this lease requirement. Barbeques and storing items other than small garden furniture are examples of such breaches. In light of the above, we would ask that you comply with this instruction as a matter of urgency.
Fire safety should be at the forefront of everyone’s mind, and to that end please ensure you are comfortable with the fire procedures, know where the nearest fire exit is and make sure the smoke alarms in your apartment are tested regularly and replaced every 10 years. It is also good practice to close all your apartment’s internal doors when you go to bed at night.
We will advise if any specific action or change is needed and we will continue to keep you updated in relation to this matter. Meanwhile, we will also continue to track any findings or new guidelines and take the appropriate actions.
Finally, should you have any further general questions or queries we would in the first instance refer you to the enclosed statement and guidance relating to fire safety. However, should you have any questions that are not answered by this document then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Tuesday 24 May 2016

Get to know some of your Brent local history with Philip Grant


Wembley Matters readers, particularly in Sudbury and Kingsbury, may be interested in two local history events taking place in the next few weeks. Both are being presented by Philip Grant, of Wembley History Society, and posters are attached giving details.

The first is an illustrated talk on Saturday 4th June, at the new Barham Community Library. Visitors will have the chance to see the facilities at Friends of Barham Library’s new premises at 660 Harrow Road (part of the Barham Park Buildings, which were home to Sudbury’s own public library from 1952 until Brent Council closed it in 2011), as well as to enjoy a talk which combines the story of Wembley’s own fire brigade with the involvement of a local family in it.
The second event is an illustrated walk from Kingsbury Library on Wednesday 22nd June. As part of the “Festival of Learning”, those taking part can discover that history is not just what you had to learn at school, but things you can see as you walk around somewhere you may have shopped, without actually noticing them before.
Even if you cannot come to either event, you can still find out more about the local history of Brent (its people, places and occasions that have happened here) online. Recent improvements to the Brent Archives homepage, at: https://www.brent.gov.uk/archives , allow you to “click” on the local history articles link, to access a menu of illustrated pdf files on a variety of subjects, or on the online catalogue link, to search for places in the borough from over ten thousand pictures, from Victorian times to the present.

Wednesday 6 January 2016

Brent consultation on Fire Brigade cuts on January 11th

A public consultation on how the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority can make £6.4m of budget savings for 2016/17 is being held between Monday, 7 December 2015 and Monday, 1 February 2016.

Members of London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority approved two proposals for consultation, both of which would ensure no fire station closures and no firefighters would be made compulsorily redundant.

What are the differences between the two options?

The main difference between the options is around the 13 fire engines that have been out of service for two years as part of Brigade's strike contingency arrangements.

If you require the document in a different format or if you would prefer a paper version of the consultation questionnaire, please email consultation@london-fire.gov.uk or call 0800 689 3489.

Public meetings

We will be holding four public meetings that are free for anyone to attend. All meetings will begin at 7pm and end no later than 9pm. This is the Brent meeting.
  • 11 January 2016 - Conference Hall, Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley HA9 0FJ (map(opens in a new window))

How to have your say

The consultation is a chance for Londoners to have their say on our budget proposals and how the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority can save £6.4m.  
Please return completed paper copies of the questionnaire to:
FREEPOST RRSK-TLGS-YLAK
Budget Consultation
169 Union Street
London
SE1 0LL

Navin Shah, Labour AM has urged residents to go to the meeting. He said:
 “With our fire services facing uncertain times, and response times already rising significantly in Brent, it’s important that local people have their say over the future of London’s fire service.

“The Mayor’s cuts mean that there are very tough decisions ahead. If you take fire engines out of service then of course response times could rise and lives could be put at risk. Nobody wants to see that happen. With frontline services at stake, it hugely important that local people are given the opportunity to make their views known.”

Monday 15 September 2014

Michaela opens despite safety fears over site


Michaela Free School opened to 120 Year 7 pupils this morning despite fears about the safety of Arena House which is now a building site with just as narrow roofed timber lined corridor for entrance and exit.  Concerns have been raised with both Brent Council Health and Safety and the London Fire Brigade.

It was really sad this morning to see eager young faces, excited about starting secondary school, drop when they saw the state of the building.

Worried parents were assured that it was just the outside that looked like that - it was 'lovely' inside. However, parents were disconcerted to be refused entry to the building to see for themselves. They were promised a chance to view it at the Open Evening on Wednesday.

This is a glimpse of what appears to be an assembly/canteen/classroom seen through the windows.


Outside parent and grandparent views were mixed. Some accepted the promise that the school would soon be ready at face value, while others said the state of the building was 'disgusting'.  One grandparent, who welcomed the 'strict discipline', contrasted the building with the 'beautiful' building at Oakington Manor Primary that her grand-daugher had just left.

Parents at the school entrance today (white door)
There had been grumbles about the strict school rules at a pre-meeting with parents. They were told, 'If you don't like our rules, find another school!'

Several of the parents said they had not chosen Michaela but it was the only school available when their six choices were refused.

Clearly the school has a major job to win some parents round on several counts, including the state of the building, safety and discipline.  There may well be a split in the first few weeks between those who positively chose the school because of its 'strict, private school ethos' and those who were forced to take it because nothing else was available.

Challenging times ahead.