Hello!
Welcome to issue 8 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 reported.
What’s caught my eye in the news
🔥 Fire incidents
Birmingham warehouse fire – Tyseley Industrial Estate
Factory fire – Wolverhampton
Fire safety prosecutions & enforcement
Housing association fined £120,000 – fatal fire case
HMO Landlord Prosecuted for Fire Safety Failures
Camden Council has recently prosecuted the landlord of a property in Kilburn for letting an unlicensed House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) to 5 unrelated residents.
During the inspection, the officers also identified multiple fire safety issues, including:
- No Fire Risk Assessment in place
- No carbon monoxide alarms installed
- Blocked fire escape routes
- Insufficient fire doors to flat entrances, kitchens and bedrooms
As a result, the landlord was ordered to pay a total of £15,872. After the verdict, a representative of Camden Council noted: “This landlord profited from residents living in dangerous conditions and failed to comply with clear legislation. I’m pleased that he has been handed this fine thanks to the robust work of our enforcement officers.”
Fun fire fact
Do you know why the UK emergency number is 999?
The 999 emergency number was introduced in London in 1937, making it the world’s first emergency telephone number.
It was chosen because:
· On old rotary dial telephones, 9 was easy to dial even in the dark or if the caller had to feel the dial with their finger.
· The long dial rotation also helped prevent accidental calls.
The system was introduced after a tragic house fire in Wimpole Street where neighbours tried to call the operator but couldn’t get through quickly enough.
Today, the UK still uses 999 alongside 112, the European emergency number.
Did you also know…
Most people know the UK emergency number is 999, but if someone accidentally dials 911, many UK mobile networks will still redirect the call to emergency services.
The system was designed partly because visitors and children often remember the American number from TV.
That said, the official UK numbers remain 999 and 112.
This month’s training stats and reviews
- Customer locations visited: 48
- Courses delivered: 62
- 5 star Google reviews (last 30 days): 59
- Trust Pilot reviews: 23
Some kind words from our customers:
‘Very good training session with Paul this morning. Very informative. Thank you.’
‘Did a fire marshal training with Paul yesterday. Really liked Paul’s presentation style, energy & visual support materials (especially the videos). Lithium battery safety info particularly useful. Thanks Paul’
‘Paul was great! The best Fire Marshall training I’ve had. Super clear and very digestible. He was clearly very experienced and great insight for us to take away.’
‘This course reinforced my existing knowledge and confidence in my current role as well as introducing newer risks associated with rechargeable batteries. Overall an excellent course with Joey providing physical and audio visual input with good use of personal experience and humour.’
‘Matt was really good at explaining everything and I have learnt a lot, it has changed my perspective about Fire Safety.’
My thoughts
Something I’ve been reflecting on this month is the way accreditations are used in our industry.
Don’t get me wrong, accreditations have their place. They can show that a company has met certain standards and they can be a useful starting point when people are choosing a provider. But sometimes it feels like they’re worn more like a badge of honour than a guarantee of quality.
Over the years I’ve seen plenty of situations where companies have all the right logos on their website and certificates on the wall, but when you look closely at the work being done day to day, it’s not always up to the standard you’d expect. The reality is that once some accreditations are achieved, the actual work on the ground isn’t always closely monitored.
That’s why I’ve always believed one of the most honest measures of a business is customer feedback.
We’re incredibly proud that 1st Attendance has now received hundreds of five-star Google reviews from organisations all over the UK. Every single one represents someone who trusted us to come into their workplace and deliver training or services properly.
Those reviews mean a lot to the team, because they come from real people describing real experiences and in my opinion that says far more about a company than any logo ever could.
Accreditations might open the door, but consistent quality and genuine customer feedback are what really tell the story.
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
