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Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority initiative helps fund sprinklers at a St Helens Hospital
A project which aims to increase the
number of buildings which have effective sprinkler systems in Merseyside has
seen sprinklers fitted at a St Helens mental health Hospital. The system
has been installed on Taylor and Iris Wards at Peasley Cross Hospital on
Marshalls Cross Road in St Helens as part of a Merseyside wide initiative to
protect vulnerable members of the community against the risk of fire. The
project, agreed by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority (MFRA) in 2014, aspires
to have at least one building in each of Merseyside's five districts retro
fitted with a sprinkler system. With a focus on making communities safer and
increasing the numbers of properties containing a sprinkler system across the
county, MFRA is working with:- businesses, healthcare providers, Schools and
housing providers to retro fit sprinkler systems to a number of large or complex
residential buildings. The sprinklers on Taylor and Iris Wards at Peasley
Cross Hospital, part of North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust,
will now help protect 32 patients at the 2 storey high building from fire.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority has agreed to contribute towards the cost
of installing the sprinklers, recognising the additional fire safety protection
they provide for users of the unit and firefighters when responding to any
potential future fires within the building. More information on the impact
and effectiveness of sprinklers can be found
online.
Group Manager Any Groom, who is leading on the
sprinkler project for MFRA, said:- "It has been great to work with North
West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to fit sprinklers at Peasley Cross
Hospital. We have seen many fires in Merseyside where fitted sprinklers have
prevented the fire from spreading, limiting damage to owners and businesses,
allowing faster business recovery from potentially devastating fires and
ultimately saving both lives and livelihoods. Sprinklers provide a range of
benefits including environmental ones and, if more widely used, could
potentially save millions of pounds for our economy. MFRA believes more can be
done to promote the wider use of sprinklers in schools and domestic, commercial,
healthcare and residential premises and we continue to actively work towards
supporting this aim." MFRA Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Phil Garrigan,
said:- "The fitting of sprinklers in Peasley Cross Hospital's Taylor and
Iris Wards is a great step forward in helping to protect patients from fire.
MFRA is promoting the use of sprinklers in Schools, commercial, healthcare and
residential buildings for a number of reasons. Firstly, they suppress fires and
contain them, which helps us when firefighters and crews arrive on scene and
contributes towards their safety. They also limit fire spread, protect occupants
and reduce fire damage to businesses, helping owners get back to normal quickly.
Greater use of fire sprinklers would make the country safer and more resilient." CLA statement on the Universal Service Obligation to deliver high speed broadband across the UK
THE Government has confirmed on 20 December 2017, that universal high speed broadband will be delivered by a regulatory Universal Service Obligation (USO). An offer from BT to deliver a universal service on its own terms was rejected by the Government. BT Openreach, the largest provider of fixed line broadband infrastructure, consistently opposed the USO to give every household or business premises the right to an internet connection of a legally set speed of at least 10 megabits per second (Mbps). The CLA which represents landowners, farmers and rural businesses welcomed the regulation. CLA Senior Rural Business Adviser Dr Charles Trotman said:- "The challenges of rolling out fast, reliable and affordable rural broadband are well known but have been recognised by the Government with the commitment to provide a universal service obligation of at least 10 Mbps from 2020. For too long, rural areas have been at the back of the queue when it comes to investment in infrastructure and that is why this legal principle is not something to compromise on. Rural areas now stand a better chance of receiving a decent broadband service without BT monopolising the market and deciding its own terms for connection. It is vital for the Government to move as swiftly as possible towards meeting its objective of universal coverage in 2020 and to ensure legal guarantees are set for any future universal obligation. 10 Mbps is only a benchmark minimum speed which is sufficient now, but as technology advances could be too slow in just 5 years' time." |
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1 in 4 teenagers couldn't enjoy Christmas without social media MORE than 1 in 4 teenagers; an
estimated 108,000 young people in the North West; say they couldn't enjoy
Christmas without social media according to a new survey carried out for The
Children's Society. Almost 1 in 3, 128,000, said they thought it was
getting harder to enjoy Christmas, while only 1 in 10 felt it was getting
easier. Many young people are left casting envious glances at their peers and
people they follow, with 31%, 124,000, saying that social media use at Christmas
makes them want more gifts and presents after having compared themselves to
others. 1 in 5 children think that friends on social media seem to be having a
better Christmas than them. However, 40% felt that social media made them think
more about those who are less fortunate than they are at Christmas time. The
poll of 1,010 13 to 17 year olds in England and Wales, conducted by Research Now
for The Children's Society, found a 32% increased their use of social media over
Christmas, with only 8% saying they spent less time on the online platforms. 47%
of all young people said they didn't spend enough time with friends during the
Christmas break, with 76% of those who use social media more at this time of
year saying they did so to see what their school friends were doing over the
holidays. Worryingly 13% said they use social media more at Christmas to help
them feel less alone, while 17% do so to escape family stress and 32% do so
because they feel bored. Don't Let Fire Ruin Festive Cheer IT'S the most wonderful time of the
year: Christmas dinner, giving presents, decorating your home; there's so much
to think about at this time of year… and that's before the festivities even get
started! 1 thing Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service is urging residents to
put at the top of their Christmas to do lists this year is fire safety.
While fire safety is important the whole year round, the extra distractions of
Christmas make vigilance especially important. MFRS is asking people to take
extra care over Christmas, when the winter weather can bring its own challenges,
to ensure that their families and loved ones are protected from fire. |
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