Hello!
Welcome to issue 7 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 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 sector 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 and fire news reports
What’s been happening on the fire front
Flat / Building Fires in West Ealing and Ealing
A fire broke out in a shop with flats above on Broadway in West Ealing. Around 25 firefighters and four fire engines were called to tackle the blaze, and a large two‑bedroom flat in the roof space was damaged, though thankfully no injuries were reported.
A separate fire at a house converted into flats on Inglis Road, Ealing on 19 December drew around 60 firefighters and eight appliances to extinguish a significant fire in a residential building.
These two fires highlight the risk that mixed‑use buildings and conversions can pose, especially where escape routes and compartmentation may already be challenged.
Stroud house fire – Boxing Day tragedy
A tragic house fire in Brimscombe, Stroud claimed the lives of a woman and two children (aged four and seven) in the early hours of Boxing Day.
Emergency crews were called at around 3 am, and police and fire investigators treated the blaze as non‑suspicious while determining the cause.
This incident is a strong reminder of how quickly house fires can become fatal, especially during night hours when occupants are asleep and escape options are limited.
Bedroom fire – Poole
Recent UK fire safety enforcement
Care home fire safety prosecution
Fun fire facts
The Great Fire of London (1666) started in a bakery… and stopped the plague.
While devastating, the fire killed off many of the rats and fleas responsible for spreading the plague. It also led to stricter building codes including the move to brick and stone instead of timber.
This month’s training stats
Customer locations visited: 40
Courses delivered: 53
5 star Google reviews (last 30 days): 39
Trust Pilot reviews: 10
Some kind words about us:
‘Joey was really informative and made the training fun!! Thank you guys’
‘Mr Paul the trainer was impressive and knowledgeable’
‘Mr Paul was an absolutely brilliant trainer . Very professional and knowledgeable’
‘Paul was an excellent trainer, very clear and very interesting. Really enjoyed the course. Thanks Paul’
‘Great course, a complete eye opener. Delivered extremely well, Colin was very knowledgeable and helpful. Highly recommend.’
1st Attendance News
If you love listening to good music, check out my radio show! My hobby has always been DJing. I’m now bringing it to internet radio, co-hosting Welcome to the Weekend on www.mixxradio.co.uk every Saturday morning with my wife, Lucy. Check it out it’s a cracking listen!
My thoughts
Lately, I’ve noticed something.
My phone, my socials, my news alerts — they’re constantly full of fire stories. Warehouse fires, lithium batteries gone wrong, care home prosecutions, high-rise evacuations… it’s nonstop. And that’s not just because I work in fire safety. It’s because our phones and feeds are tuned in to what we talk about, what we search for, what we care about.
But here’s the thing that struck me — most people don’t see any of it.
If fire safety isn’t part of your job, your algorithm isn’t showing it to you. And so you’d be forgiven for thinking fire isn’t really that common. That it’s rare. Something that happens to someone else, somewhere else.
But the truth is: fires happen every day — in homes, in businesses, in places just like yours. And unless you’re tuned in, like we are, it’s easy to miss just how real the risk still is.
That’s why we do what we do. Not to scare people. Not to tick boxes. But to help make sure the people we work with are protected, even when the risk isn’t obvious. Even when their feeds stay quiet.
Because when it comes to fire safety, awareness is everything. And a bit of prevention goes a long way.
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 fire‑smart update.
Stay safe and alert!
Paul
