Hello!
Welcome to issue 10 of my monthly newsletter.
My name is Paul Dennett and I am the Director of 1st Attendance Training Group Ltd. At 1st Attendance we deliver fire safety training, fire equipment servicing and first aid training throughout the UK.
In this newsletter I am going to discuss my thoughts on what’s happened this month within the fire safety and first aid sectors plus what we have learnt and achieved as a business that makes us better.
Before we get in too deep, here are a couple of stories that caught my eye when scanning the sector publications.
Fire incidents in the news
High-rise flat fire – Motherwell (5 March 2026)
A serious fire broke out in a high-rise block in Motherwell, with multiple fire crews in attendance. The fire started in a flat on the 11th floor, and tragically a man died after falling from the building during the incident.
Residents reported smelling an electrical burning smell before the fire took hold and emergency services carried out a large-scale response to contain the blaze.
Firefighters have tackled a major blaze in a factory in Bradford overnight
Fire safety prosecutions & enforcement
Care home company fined £70,000 – Dorset (31 March 2026)
A care home company was fined £70,000 after fire safety failings were identified following the death of a vulnerable resident.
The breaches included:
- Failure to ensure appropriate fire safety arrangements
- Risks that could lead to serious injury or death
The company was also ordered to pay:
- £22,000 costs
- £2,000 victim surcharge
What it means:
Care homes continue to be heavily scrutinised, especially where vulnerable residents are involved. The expectation is clear: systems and procedures must be robust and actively managed.
Arson attack – ambulances set on fire (London, 23 March 2026)
In North London, four ambulances operated by a local Jewish volunteer ambulance service were deliberately set on fire in an arson attack in Golders Green. Several suspects have since been charged with arson offences, with the case now progressing through the courts.
What it means:
This highlights:
- The ongoing risk of deliberate fire setting (arson)
- The importance of security measures and vigilance
- And how fire incidents can directly impact emergency services themselves
Fire facts
I came across some figures recently from the London Fire Brigade for the start of 2026, and they’re well worth sharing.
So far this year, they’ve attended:
- 42,696 calls
- 4,871 fires
Breaking that down a bit further:
- 9.1% of fires started by cooking
- 8% caused by faulty electrical equipment
- Busiest time for callouts is around 5pm
- 2,018 people freed from lifts already this year
When you look at it like that, it really shows the range of incidents the fire service is dealing with day in, day out.
And then there’s the continued rise in lithium battery fires. While full 2026 figures aren’t out yet, London saw over 200 e-bike and e-scooter fires in 2025, and that trend is still very much continuing into this year.
My takeaway:
Most fires aren’t big headline incidents, they’re everyday things:
- Cooking left unattended
- Electrical faults
- Charging devices
And they’re happening at the exact time most of us are getting home from work and starting our evening routine.
It’s easy to think fires are rare but when you look at the numbers, they’re happening every single day.
🔥 Did you know…
Most people think fire spreads slowly but in reality, a house fire can reach flashover (where everything in a room ignites at once) in as little as 3–5 minutes.
That’s the point where temperatures can exceed 500°C, and survival becomes extremely unlikely.
That’s why early warning, like working smoke alarms, is absolutely critical.
🔥 Did you also know…
The UK fire service attends hundreds of lift rescues every week, often because people panic and press the emergency button instead of waiting safely inside.
Lifts are designed to be safe, even when they stop but firefighters are regularly called out to assist people who think they’re in immediate danger.
This month’s training stats and reviews
- Customer locations visited: 63
- Courses delivered: 70
- 5 star Google reviews (last 30 days): 36
- Trust Pilot reviews: 27
- Video Testimonials: 6
Kind words about us from our customers:
‘Was a really good insight into being a fire Marshall. Its taking the opportunity to learn all the aspects that can be done in order to prevent a fire and ensure risk is kept to a minimum’
‘Thank you to Paul who was engaging in today’s session of fire training! Thank you for making it engaging’
‘Training was fantastic. Very informative and great for knowing how to prevent fires and risks. Trainer, Paul, was very knowledgeable, engaging and got everyone involved.’
‘Paul was a knowledgeable and approachable trainer who explained everything clearly and encouraged questions throughout the session. His delivery made the content easy to understand and relevant to our work environment. The practical demonstration of fire extinguishers was particularly helpful, as it reinforced the theory and helped build confidence in using the correct equipment safely.’
Click on Helen’s image below to listen to her smashing review:
Need more convincing? Here’s more 5 star reviews.
My thoughts
I wanted to finish this month on a bit of a personal note – something we’re quite excited about. A lot of our business has always come from recommendations and word of mouth, which is something we’re really proud of. So we thought it was about time we gave something back for that.
We’ve now launched a simple referral programme.
If you know another business, whether it’s a client, supplier, or someone in your network that could benefit from fire training, first aid, or extinguisher servicing, Drop us an email including their:
- Business name
- Contact name
- Phone number
If they go on to book with us, and once they’ve completed their training or service, you can choose either:
- £50 Amazon voucher or £50 off your next booking
Nice and simple.
It’s our way of saying thank you for pointing people in our direction and helping us keep working with good businesses like yours.
If you’re happy with what we do, feel free to share us. We’ll make sure it’s worth your while!
Let’s Keep Talking
Thank you for reading this and I hope you have found it interesting. If there are any subjects you would like me to discuss in a future newsletter, please do get in touch.
Want more detail on any news item or have a burning question about your facility? Email info@stafffiretraining.co.uk. Feel free to forward this to safety officers or colleagues who’d appreciate a first aid or fire‑smart update.
Stay safe and alert!
Paul
