We received this message: "My 4yr old came home saying she wished she was a boy so she could be a fireman. When I said girls can be firefighters too she said 'I’ve seen in books they are all boys -I don’t want to be the only girl.’Our crews have responded!
#firefightingsexism
We are heartbroken to confirm that one of our Crew Managers, Iain Hughes, is missing after his inspiring attempt to swim the English Channel for charity.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Iain's family.
We have published a statement on our website:
We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our firefighters whilst on duty. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues - particularly at
@Wton_fire
- at this difficult time.
Please see our full statement:
Crews from
@SuttonCfld_Fire
have rescued a dog from a lake in Sutton Park. The dog was called (and this is no joke) Jesus, he was rescued on
#GoodFriday
by crews using a triple extension ladder and personal flotation device.
#happyEaster2019
With great sadness, we confirm the death of Firefighter Craig Williams.
He lost his brave fight against cancer yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, son, family, and friends at this desperately sad time.
Our thoughts are with everyone involved in the Thai cave rescue of 12 boys and their adult leader. Former West Midlands firefighter Richard Stanton, who served in Coventry for 25 years and is a world expert in cave diving, is among those leading today's operation.
@weetabix
@HeinzUK
Using specialist equipment and strict safety measures, our hazardous materials team tried this dangerous looking combination ☣️ . They're now having to go through full decontamination, for their own safety - read into that what you will.
Update:
@WestMidsFire
- Esme has now watched the video - on repeat! And LOVES it. She now firmly believes 100% that she can be a girl AND a firefighter so thanks again - job done! She's also very excited about the invite to visit and would like to try on the yellow helmet!
PLEASE SHARE.
We have have received countless messages of support following the disappearance, in the English Channel, of Crew Manager Iain Hughes.
Thank you.
Iain today exceeded his fundraising target. If you can, please help to take it even higher.
It's with great sadness that we announce the passing of Kai, our much-loved fire investigation dog.
Our thoughts are with Mat, Kai's handler, at this very difficult time.
Read more:
We are devastated to announce that our Chief Fire Officer, Wayne Brown, was this morning found dead at his home.
Our thoughts and love are with his family, friends and colleagues.
Please click below to read our statement:
We're extremely pleased to confirm the permanent appointment of
@Wayne_Brown5
as Chief Fire Officer of
@WestMidsFire
. He was offered, and accepted, the position after a thorough application and interview process.
Read more:
Today we had to work to our absolute limits. 5yr boy hanging by his neck from a 5th floor window, the bravery shown by the FF who climbed the ladder is immeasurable
@ErdingtonFire
@WestMidsFire
After more than 30 years serving the West Midlands, our first EVER female firefighter retires today. We wish Watch Commander Julie Cooper a very long, happy and well-deserved retirement!
A heartfelt 'thank you' to everyone who has taken the time to send their condolences following the death of Wayne Brown, our Chief Fire Officer.
An online book of condolence is now available on our website:
It is with great sadness that we confirm the sudden death of one of our trainee firefighters, Daniel Kidner, while off duty. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Daniel’s family, and all who knew and loved him.
With great sadness, we confirm the sudden death of one of our much-loved and respected Station Commanders. Simon Wheatley, of
@WMFSHadenCross
, died yesterday.
Our deepest sympathies are with Simon’s family, friends and colleagues.
Our flags have been lowered as a mark of respect.
Coincidentally on the same day as we picked up the tweet from Esme’s Mum, West Midlands Fire Service were honouring their Staff who had completed 30 years dedicated service; one of which was Julie Cooper our very first female Firefighter who joined in 1989.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT:
For the record, we categorically deny that any of our fire engines use performance-enhancing drugs to get to you in just 5 minutes in an emergency. We do, however, pump them full of highly-trained, professional firefighters.
We've been overwhelmed the last 24 hours with good wishes from everyone having seen
#Ambulance
Thank you to everyone for your lovely messages, we along with our
@WMPolice
and
@OFFICIALWMAS
colleagues do our best to keep you safe, and we're proud to serve you all.
#999family
Today we remember our colleague Firefighter Iain McPhee who tragically lost his life at the age of 22 whilst fighting a fire at a flat in Birmingham on the 28 July 1992. Our thoughts are with Iain’s Family, Friends & all that once knew and worked with him.
Everyone here at West Midlands Fire Service remains devastated following the death of our Chief Fire Officer, Wayne Brown.
His loss has left an enormous void. Healing will take time, but the messages we have received are helping a great deal. Thank you.
Video update from Turkey:
@WestMidsFire
Watch Commander Shyam Rana is a member of
@UK_ISAR_TEAM
. The team is working alongside many international rescue squads to search for survivors of the earthquake.
'He was our world.'
The family of Iain Hughes, our crew manager who went missing during his Channel swim, have paid tribute following confirmation of his death.
Our thoughts and prayers remain with all who knew and loved Iain.
Read more on our website:
The funeral takes place today of Firefighter Andrew Moore, who died at Wolverhampton Fire Station on 16 February. On this sad day, our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues. Andrew's daughter is fundraising for
@MindCharity
in his memory:
Our thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of Wayne Brown, our Chief Fire Officer.
Hundreds attended his funeral today at
@SouthwarkCathed
- friends and colleagues from
@LondonFire
, WMFS and Wayne's vast network.
The service was also relayed to
@IntheBullRing
.
Richard Stanton, world-renowned diving and caving expert and one of our firefighters for 25 years, was one of the first to find the missing Thailand boys. Now retired, he was awarded the MBE in 2013. Here's hoping the group is successfully rescued.
We have been out to two incidents today rescuing dogs 🐶 from ice. An owner was also rescued after going after his dog.
PLEASE, unless your pet is a penguin 🐧 keep yourself and your pets away from ice and open water. It isn't safe! ☠️
We're extremely proud to be helping
@StJohnAmbulance
deliver the
@NHSUK
#COVID19
vaccination programme. THANK YOU to the 140 members of our staff who started their training over the weekend, with 100 more to follow this week! Read more:
#ReadyWillingAble
@journo_andre
West Midlands Fire Service are committed to having a workforce that truly represents the community that it serves - the message by Esmes mum just goes to highlight the stereotypes that still exist around women being Firefighters despite WMFS having female FF for the past 30 years
The funeral of Station Manager Simon Wheatley is being held today.
Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Simon’s family, and all who knew and loved him.
Union Flags at our sites will be at half-mast.
Condolence messages can be left on our website:
A year ago today, Crew Manager Iain Hughes went missing in The English Channel during his charity swim attempt.
His body was later located in waters off Belgium.
Our thoughts remain with Iain's family, friends and colleagues.
It's with great sadness that we announce the passing of Cara, our much-loved Urban Search and Rescue dog, who had recently retired.
Our thoughts are with Mick, Cara's handler, at this very difficult time.
Read more:
At 1.56am this morning we responded to a fire at The Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton. The first of four fire crews and 20 firefighters arrived two minutes after being mobilised. We contained the fire to a conference suite bar area. It was out by 3.40am
See the moment a horse is rescued after taking a dip in the canal to cool off. The horse is now happy grazing in a field!! Thanks to crews from Foleshill Fire Station and our Technical Rescue Team.
@FoleshillFire
@TechRescueWMFS
Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of those killed and injured in a multiple-vehicle incident overnight in central Birmingham. There are more details on our website:
We're pleased to announce the appointment of our new Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO). Serving currently at
@OxonFireRescue
, DCFO Jo Bowcock is set to join us in the role, on secondment, in September.
Read more:
Meet our fully licensed Urban Search and Rescue dog, Luna 🐶
The Belgian Malinois recently passed her full grading, meaning she can work in the UK and internationally 🐾
Her job is to find people who are trapped, lost, or in need of rescue.
Read more:
Many thanks to
@BBCMTD
for featuring our Fire Investigation Dog Kai, who is adapting to his new life after losing his sight. He has been a valuable member of our team for several years. Our thoughts are with handler Mat Dixon and Kai at this difficult time.
Today on the 9th day, of the 9th month, at 9am - we recognise the work of all emergency services for
#999DayUK
.
Our crews will be holding a 2 minute silence in remembrance of all those who have lost their lives in service to the public.
@Official999Day
Consideration! That's what we need from motorists.
If you're a road user, watch our short video to make sure you don't delay us, or our emergency services colleagues in
@WMPolice
and
@OFFICIALWMAS
, from getting to you when we're needed the most.
Please share to spread the word!
Today is the anniversary of 9/11, and we remember the 2,977 lives lost in the devastating terrorist attacks on America. Amongst those, we pay tribute to the 412 first responders - including 343 firefighters.
Crew Commander Dave Pitt receives a New Year Honour for his work during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was presented with his Queen’s Fire Service Medal today by HRH Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge at Windsor Castle. Read more:
At 12noon we marked Firefighters' Memorial Day with flags at half mast and a silence to honour those who have died whilst serving their communities. Today is also St Florian's Day - the patron saint of firefighters
#FMD2020
🚨 WATCH 🚨
This is why we aim to reach you in five minutes.
Filmed by a member of the public, this dramatic ladder rescue in Aston shows why we pride ourselves on rapid response times and excellent firefighting.
One man led to safety, no major injuries.
#WeAreWMFS
Across the West Midlands this weekend, we've got charity car washes at lots of our fire stations! They're all raising funds on behalf of Crew Commander Iain Hughes towards his chosen charities.
Please share and find a car wash near you or donate here:
Following a National request, We are currently making preparations to send our high volume pump from Sheldon Fire Station and crew to help with the on-going incident in Derbyshire with the partial collapse of the dam at Toddbrook Reservoir
STOP THE PRESS! Only a month to go until our very own TV series starts! It’s a UK first - filmed on helmet and body-worn cameras by our firefighters!
#IntotheFire
WATCH! Check out this drone footage of
@TechRescueWMFS
training on a crane being used to build new students flats in Coventry. The scenario: crane operator has suspected heart attack, 300ft off the ground 😮 🚒 (Media licensing enquiries: licensing
@viralhog
.com)
@GallifordTryPlc
It's Monday, and we thought everyone might be a bit down. So here's an awesome picture of our Fire Dog Kai (
@WMFireDogs
) looking very cool to cheer you up!
#MondayMotivation
We have received so many kind messages, following the sudden death of Station Commander Simon Wheatley. Thank you - they are very much appreciated.
We have now launched an online Book of Condolence:
You need a doctor once a year maybe and a fireman once in a lifetime, if you’re unlucky. But you need a farmer three times a day. Wise words from Kaleb Cooper.
Eight of our personnel, alongside 13 other UK fire and rescue services, are en route to Türkiye as part of the UK’s response to massive earthquakes.
Read more:
Major incident declared in Horsley Fields, Wolverhampton. WMFS currently have 20 appliances and 2 Hydraulic platforms dealing with a large fire within numerous derelict factories. Please avoid the area if possible due to on coming emergency services.
Amazing! 👏🏼
@WMFSSolihull
firefighter Ricky Cheema has donated his bone marrow for a FOURTH time with
@AnthonyNolan
. Visit to find out more about their great work. Thank you, Ricky!
🎬 PLEASE WATCH AND SHARE! 😳
This is the terrifying moment an e-bike battery exploded when it was on charge.
The owner of the footage has kindly let us share it, to flag the dangers.
🧵 1 of 3
Our team in
@SWMFireControl
used the revolutionary
#999eye
system to get eyes on the scene using a callers mobile phone (with their permission). This supports dynamic decision making about the resources needed. they say a picture paints 1000 words.
#digital
#innovation
Heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported our charity car washes at the weekend.
Donations to three causes being supported by Crew Manager Iain Hughes now exceed £53,000.
We’re proud to confirm that proceeds from the car washes will add at least £20,000 to the current total.
⚠️ Due to a serious system issue, many 999 calls are not connecting.
In the event of an emergency, please contact 0845 2999 247.
We will provide further updates when available.
Our investigators have tonight confirmed they are satisfied that the fire at the Holiday Inn near Walsall started accidentally, in a sauna. (Drone footage:
@WMASHART
)
We are extremely saddened to learn from our colleagues at West Midlands Police that, despite the best efforts of the emergency services, three children have died at the scene of Babbs Mill Lake. Please monitor our website for further details:
We've sent a water rescue team and boat to support the
#Yorkshire
floods response. So far, our firefighters have rescued nearly 50 stranded people, helped to move several cars and lorries and ferried staff to check on business premises.
”This was one of those once-in-a career rescues that saw our brave firefighters perform beyond expectations and push the limits of their technical skills to the maximum, to prevent a tragedy.” Read more:
We would like to thank crews, partners and agencies that have been involved with this incident, but especially those local residents that, when breaking their
#Ramadan
fast in the early hours, shared their food with on site crews. Amazing community spirit we are very grateful
Tipton firefighters visited two-year-old Billy-Joe, who lives with leukemia. He's a HUGE fire engine fan, so they brought a smile to his face by arriving in... a HUGE fire engine! They took some mini firefighter gifts, too! 😊 🚒 Photos: John Kennett
Many congratulations to our former firefighter, Richard Stanton, awarded the George Medal in the
#NewYearHonours
for rescuing a team of Thai boys from a cave:
🎉 Good luck in your retirement 🎉
Cara, our Urban Search and Rescue dog, is to retire after seven years service.
Her Handler and Firefighter Mick Attwood described her as 'reliable beyond doubt'.
Thank you for your service, Cara 🐶
Read more ⬇️
We have been in attendance at a large factory fire in sparkhill. We have over 125 firefighters dealing with the fire. We recommend that doors and windows in the local vicinity be kept closed for the next few hours.
New ‘fire escape hoods’, designed to protect fire victims from smoke and fumes, are set to be carried on all of our emergency response vehicles from today. Read more:
We now have more than 100 firefighters tackling a severe fire at a plastics factory on Tyseley Industrial Estate, Birmingham. This incident will last into the night. Please avoid the area and keep windows and doors closed if you live nearby.
These are just some of the people who have helped make
@birminghamcg22
a safe and secure Games.
Thanks to all our colleagues,
@OFFICIALWMAS
,
@WMPolice
and to you, visitors and residents alike. You've done Birmingham and the West Midlands proud. Enjoy the closing ceremony.
PLEASE SHARE: If you're lighting a candle in a window at 7pm tonight, as suggested by many churches, please DON'T leave it unattended and DO keep it away from curtains and flammable objects. Please also consider a safer alternative, like a battery-powered LED light.
We currently have 10 appliances plus specialist appliances in attendance at a severe fire at Tyseley Industrial Estate
#Birmingham
Please keep doors and windows closed.