Hello!
Hello!
Welcome to issue 13 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’s a story or two that caught my eye when scanning the sector publications.
Fire incidents in the news
Industrial Unit – Brislington, Bristol
Plastics Factory – Beccles, Suffolk – 14 September
A large fire broke out at the M&H Plastics site in Beccles. The fire involved a building around 40m × 90m and spread to neighbouring businesses.
Fourteen fire crews attended, with the incident taking more than ten hours to bring under control.
The consequences were substantial: one industrial unit was completely destroyed, another severely damaged and a third moderately damaged. Buildings were left unstable and the UK Health Security Agency and Environment Agency were notified as precautions.
Recycling Centre Fire – Wandsworth, London – 4 September 2026
Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were called to a fire at a recycling plant on Pensbury Place in Wandsworth shortly after 6pm on 4 September.
A large quantity of mixed recycling waste was destroyed, producing heavy smoke that drifted across nearby railway lines. Trains had to run “with caution” for several hours while the smoke cleared. London Fire Brigade received 44 calls about the incident, and crews remained at the scene until the fire was brought under control just after midnight. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
But the really interesting part is the suspected cause.
London Fire Brigade believes the fire was accidental and most likely caused by damage to a lithium-ion battery. The Brigade warned that when batteries are crushed or damaged they can ignite, and fires involving them can be extremely fierce and spread very quickly.
Fire safety prosecutions & enforcement
Holiday-Let Owner Ordered to Pay More Than £23,000 – Bournemouth
This is an interesting one because the prosecution wasn’t actually for the fire-safety defects themselves – it was for refusing to cooperate with the fire service.
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service became aware of concerns at a property in Roslin Road, Bournemouth, after a guest staying at the property complained about alleged fire-safety failings.
Fire Safety Inspectors repeatedly attempted to gain access to carry out an inspection, but the person responsible refused to cooperate and allow them entry.
At Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on 11 September 2026, Elizabeth Jean Watson was ordered to pay:
- £1,100 fine
- £440 victim surcharge
- £21,750.13 prosecution costs
That’s a total of £23,290.13. The offence was failing, without reasonable excuse, to comply with requirements imposed by a fire-safety inspector under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
My Takeaway
There’s a really simple lesson here:
Don’t ignore the fire service.
Fire Safety Inspectors have legal powers to inspect premises and require assistance from those responsible. Refusing access doesn’t make the problem disappear — in this case it resulted in a bill of more than £23,000.
More importantly, the whole investigation started because a customer spotted something they didn’t think was safe and reported it.
Property Managers Fined £100,000 – Wembley
This one isn’t purely a Fire Safety Order prosecution, but it’s a good wider fire-safety enforcement story.
Brent Council prosecuted two people involved with an overcrowded property in Wembley, where more than 20 people, including three children and a 10-month-old baby, were living.
Council officers found numerous problems, including fire-safety breaches, problems with fire alarms and fire-safety equipment, and issues with escape routes.
One defendant was fined £40,000, plus a £2,000 victim surcharge and £3,183.85 costs. The other, who was described as a repeat offender, was fined £50,000, plus the same surcharge and costs.
My Takeaway
It’s easy to think fire-safety enforcement is only about businesses and commercial buildings.
It isn’t.
Where people are sleeping, particularly in HMOs and other higher-risk accommodation, failures involving alarms, escape routes and basic fire precautions can have potentially devastating consequences.
Fire fact
Fire Safety Trivia
🤯 Did You Know?
Fire can create its own weather.
Very large fires can heat the air so intensely that it rises rapidly, drawing in cooler air from the surrounding area and creating powerful local air currents.
In extreme wildfires, this convection can even contribute to the formation of pyrocumulonimbus clouds – essentially thunderstorms generated by the heat and smoke from the fire.
So a sufficiently large fire doesn’t just react to the weather… it can actually help create it.
🧠 Quick Quiz
Question: Which of these can potentially cause a fire without a naked flame?
A) Sunlight through glass
B) A pile of oily rags
C) A damaged lithium-ion battery
D) All three
Answer: D – All three.
And that’s the fun bit: they can ignite through three different mechanisms – focused radiant energy, self-heating/oxidation, and thermal runaway.
This month’s stats and reviews
- Customer locations visited: 72
- Courses delivered: 83
- 5 star Google reviews (last 30 days): 40
- Trust Pilot reviews: 30
- Video testimonials:7
Some kind words from our customers:
‘I am more confident, I feel I can tackle small fires and I am more aware of my surroundings.’
‘Brilliant warden training by Colin. I’ve learned so much and feel confident in keeping my workplace and home as fire safe as possible as well as tackling fires should I need to. Colin’s passion comes through in his training and it was a very enjoyable session :)’
‘Very informative and eye opening. Our instructor, Paul, has given me a large to do list but I am excited to implement it all. Thank you.’
Click on Liberty’s image below to listen to her wonderful review:
Need more convincing? Here’s more 5 star reviews.
My final message
Something a Little More Personal…
I’m going to finish this month’s newsletter slightly differently.
Those of you who know me will know that I enjoy a challenge, although I may have taken that philosophy a little too far this time!
In March 2027, I’ll be taking on the Long Island Run, running from John O’Groats to Land’s End, which is around 850 miles in just 17 days.
That’s roughly 50 miles a day, or the equivalent of almost two marathons every day for 17 days.
And there’s a very good reason I’m doing it.
I’m raising money for Operation Community Hamper, a fantastic local charity that supports families and individuals across Bristol and the South West who are struggling and need a little extra help.
I’ve seen the work they do and the difference that support can make. So if I’m going to put myself through 850 miles of running, sore legs, questionable feet and probably a fair amount of complaining,
Staff Fire Training UK 1st Attendance Bristol – Google Search I want to make sure we raise as much money and awareness for them as possible!
🏃 Follow the journey
The training is already underway, and I’ll be sharing the good days, the bad days and everything in between.
You can follow me on Facebook and Instagram. Just search: PD Long Island Run.
We’ve also created the #OCHChallenge Facebook community. The idea isn’t just about my run. We’d love other people to take on their own challenge for Operation Community Hamper.
It doesn’t have to be 850 miles! Run a 10K, organise a cake sale, climb a mountain, cycle somewhere ridiculous – whatever your challenge might be, get involved and help us raise money.
Could your business sponsor one of the 17 days?
We’re looking for 17 businesses to sponsor one day each of the challenge for £600.
In return, we’ll make sure your business is very much part of that day’s journey, including promotion across our social media during the challenge and two months of free advertising on Mixx Radio UK.
More importantly, your £600 will be helping us raise awareness and funds for Operation Community Hamper and the families they support.
So, if you’re a business owner reading this or you know someone who might want to get involved, I’d love to hear from you.
17 days. 17 sponsors. 850 miles. One fantastic cause.
It’s going to hurt but it’s going to be worth it.
Let’s Keep Talking
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 with 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!
Stay safe and alert!
Paul
Proud kit sponsors of Emersons Green Junior Football Club - U14’s girls
