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Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service are warning people that deliberately lighting fires could result in police taking action, following a spate of arsons this month.
During the first three weeks of March, Northamptonshire firefighters responded to 18 deliberately lit fires in Corby and Wellingborough alone. This anti-social behaviour impacts communities, costs money, pollutes the environment and could lead to a criminal record for anyone involved – as well as being potentially life threatening.
Intentional fire setting is dangerous and as the warmer and dryer weather approaches, the risks of fire increase. Even a small outdoor fire can spread quickly and become a serious risk to life.
Andy Evans, Arson Reduction Officer for Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Our firefighters spend hours trying to stop deliberate fires throughout the year.
“Last year we saw a steep rise in deliberate fire setting as we moved into warmer months and approached the school holidays. We’ve been working hard in schools and communities to educate people and raise awareness not only of the dangers of fire setting, but the potential impact on an individual’s future and job prospects if they have a criminal record for arson.
“Attending deliberately lit fires also affects our ability to respond to more serious and possibly life-threatening incidents such as house fires or road traffic accidents. Arson is a crime, and the consequences can be severe for those involved.”
FireStoppers provides an anonymous way to report anything you know about deliberate firesetting. It’s managed by the independent charity CrimeStoppers. Reports of arson passed to FireStoppers will be investigated.
Call 0800 169 5558 or complete the online form at www.firestoppersreport.co.uk if you have any information about deliberate fire setting.
If an incident requires an emergency response, please call 999.
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25 March 2022
'Celebrate Mother’s Day Covid-safely and make sure you don’t give more than flowers and chocolate' is the message from Northamptonshire’s interim Directors of Public Health as numbers rise for the fourth consecutive week and a further 6,020 residents test positive
As cases continue on an upward trajectory and rise by a further 14% this week, Public Health officials are keen to remind local residents to continue to practice Covid-safe behaviours, particularly on Mother’s Day as people will be mixing closely.
They are issuing a reminder to residents to Lateral Flow Test before meeting up, meet outdoors in the sunshine if possible and to remember to wash their hands to protect against the virus.
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic many residents will be sadly missing their mothers this Sunday, a day which will be very difficult.Sally Burns and John Ashton - Interim Directors of Public Health for West and North Northamptonshire CouncilsThe virus is unfortunately still rapidly circulating in our community, and we must now do all we can to protect our dear ones. Whilst vaccination continues to offer protection, people are still getting sick, being hospitalised and dying.
If you are meeting up this weekend, make sure you take a lateral flow test beforehand and practise good hand hygiene to help reduce the chance of passing Covid-19 on to others.
This week marks two years on from the first lockdown. Since that time 1,811 residents in Northamptonshire have died due to the coronavirus. We would love to say that Covid-19 is no longer a problem, but we are still seeing hospitalisations and this week 12 residents died within 28 days of a positive COVID -19 test. It has not gone away.
With the virus still in circulation it’s vitally important that we do what we can to protect ourselves and those we around us. Let's all stay Covid-cautious on Mother’s Day and every other day and keep looking out for one another.
Covid-19 in the county this week
Analysis of the county’s recent coronavirus cases and rates over the period 14 - 20 March 2022, shows:
- 6,020 residents tested positive for Covid-19 this week. Of this number, 636 were reinfection cases. Last week’s number was 5,300 with 586 reinfection cases. ‘Reinfections’ are a new measurement now appearing in the county’s weekly data surveillance report and are defined as, ‘an infection of COVID- 19 from any of the variants after 90 days from the date of the last positive test.’
- Northamptonshire’s infection rate per 100,000 population is 801.2 – up from last week’s number of 607.1 and similar to the national average of 807.7, which is also up on last week, when it was 544.6
- West Northamptonshire’s rate per 100,000 population is 777.4. The highest rates locally are South Northamptonshire (919.7) and East Northamptonshire (915.1)
- 12 people died in Northamptonshire within 28 days of a positive test, a slight decrease from last week.
- More females than males tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 28 days
- The 30–39-year-old age group had the most positive cases and experienced the most reinfections
- Over the last 4-week period the number of cases amongst people aged 60+ increased by 8.7%, from 3307 to 3596
- The latest data shows a total of 128 COVID-19 patients occupied hospital beds in Northamptonshire on 22 March 2022, which is a 35% increase in the number of Covid-19 patients in the previous week (95 on 15 March 2022).
View the weekly Covid-19 Surveillance Report.
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Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service have released a short series of films to coincide with Neurodiversity Celebration Week which runs from 21-27 March.
The next video in our series of films for Neurodiversity Celebration Week focuses on Autism and features neurodivergent firefighters, police officers and staff talking about their personal journeys, reflecting on their strengths – problem solving, profound empathy and how valuable this is to the emergency services and to the communities they serve.
For Police recruitment opportunities, visit www.northants.police.uk/careers
For information on careers in the Fire Service, visit the Careers section on Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service – Making Northamptonshire Safer for all (northantsfire.gov.uk)
You can learn more about Neurodiversity Celebration Week and get you and/or your organisation involved here www.neurodiversityweek.com
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The question of working out what you want to do for a living in life can often be a difficult one to address – but for young people considering joining the fire service the excellent Cadet scheme can help set them on their way.
The Northamptonshire Emergency Services Cadets helps to arm young people aged between 13 and 18 with some of the key skills they would need to join any of the emergency services – whether it’s as a firefighter, a police officer or a paramedic.
Cadets attend weekly sessions in term time to learn the skills of the trade, as well as volunteering within their local community to make a positive impact and take part in events and parades. When cadets turn 16 they can then specialise in one of the three emergency services.
Michelle Bates is the Youth Engagement Officer for Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service and is the Unit Commander for the specialist Fire Cadets.
“I base the skills they learn on the on-call firefighter curriculum with a bit of a twist, because of course some things we can’t do for health and safety,” says Michelle.
“They will learn basic hose skills, getting water on in the drill yard, they will put up ladders and build dams, knots and lines. They have also been to Chelveston to our fire training centre where they have worn breathing apparatus and they have studied water rescue and road safety.
“All of the prevention messages that we like to get out into the community are instilled into our cadets, and hopefully they go away and tell their friends, colleagues and family about some of the things they have done and spread those safety messages.”
Michelle puts the cadets through their paces with the help of a small but dedicated team. There are ten volunteer leaders, nine Operational Youth Instructors and the fire service Prevention Team staff who help to assist. But it is helping young people develop their skillset which is of more importance than necessarily finding new recruits for the Fire Service.
She said: “There are a few in the current cohort that are interested in the emergency services and some of them currently have application forms in. But we can give them transferable skills which they can take into any working career. Things like team building and first aid for example, whichever job you choose to do you will need those types of skills. So, it’s hopefully something they can take away with them into their career, whether it’s in the emergency services or not.”
One cadet who does want to become a firefighter though is 18-year-old Bradley Roberts, from Kettering. Now in his second year specialising in fire, he says the cadet scheme gives young people like himself more confidence to take into their general lives.
He said: “I have done a lot of volunteering and have done training on animal rescue, water rescue and a drill yard supervision.
“I chose fire specialism because I have always wanted to be a firefighter. I want to help people on their worst days and be there for people when they need us. I just wanted to make sure that it was the right career and now I know it’s perfect for me.”
Asked whether he would tell other young people to sign up as a Cadet, he said: “Go for it. It’s amazing and you get lots of opportunities. It really boosts your confidence in every single way and you can continue to go along that career path if you want to.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Michelle Bates, who adds: “I may be biased but I think it’s a great opportunity for young people to do something different. I think the Cadets themselves enjoy the experience of doing something out of the norm, not just sitting on a games console for hours at a time. It’s really good fun, active and sociable – and we would love to see anybody new come along and find out whether it’s for them.”
To find out more about the Emergency Services Cadets, whether it’s signing up as a Cadet or becoming an adult volunteer leader within the scheme, please visit www.nescadets.co.uk
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24 March 2022
Performers, food vendors, stallholders, volunteers, and community groups are invited to take part in this year’s Northampton Pride which will take place in the Market Square on Sunday, 26 June from 11am to 4pm.
The event which is organised by the Northampton Pride Committee and West Northants Council’s LGBTQ+ and Allies Forum, celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and encourages acceptance and equality for all.
Previous celebrations have seen organisations such as Q Space, The Lowdown, Outlaws and Kinky Boots, Northampton Leisure Trust and Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust taking part by holding pop-up shops.
The Pride Parade, which has become a central part of the celebrations, will also be taking place as part of this year’s event, starting in the Market Square at 11am and finishing back in the Market Square, where live performances will be held.
Cllr David Smith, West Northamptonshire Council's Cabinet Member for community safety and engagement said: “Northampton Pride is a time to come together to celebrate and embrace diversity and inclusion across West Northants.
“We value the contribution all communities make to our county and having a local Pride festival sends a strong message that diversity doesn’t just exist in West Northants – it’s actively celebrated.
“It also sends an important signal that prejudice will not be tolerated. As a local authority we will continue to fight against all forms of discrimination and lead the way in promoting equality for everyone."
The event, now in its 5th year, offers local groups, organisations and performers the chance to show their commitment to creating a tolerant and fair society for all.
Cllr Smith went onto say: “Northampton Pride and its supporters have grown year on year, and I am looking forward to seeing lots of new faces getting involved this year."
Local bands, performers, small businesses, and residents who would like to take part in this year’s event can register their interest by emailing [email protected].
Northampton Pride is a free event that relies on the generous support of groups and organisations. Sponsorship opportunities are available to anyone who wants to support the event and demonstrate their commitment to inclusion for everyone.
For more details on what sponsorship packages are available, please email [email protected].