Flat fire in North Woolwich

Shortly before 2pm on Monday 17th August a fire broke out in a flat in Sheerness Mews, fortunately the smoke detector triggered an alarm and the London Fire Brigade were soon on the scene with two pump ladders attending.

A two man team wearing breathing apparatus and carrying a single hose reel entered the building and whilst there appeared to be no flames there was a lot of smoke.

The incident was quickly brought under control and the fire crews packed away their equipment.

A little later the LFB sent a fire investigation unit to the scene and they spent a couple of hours on site.

Thankfully no injuries and no significant damage were caused thanks to the swift response by the on-site security team and London Fire Brigade.

Stuck in the mud

The river Thames can be a dangerous place, especially the large areas of mud that become exposed as the tide goes out.

This is what 4 young children found out around lunchtime today at Gallions Point in North Woolwich, London. Fortunately one of them was able to raise the alarm which triggered a major search and rescue effort.

First on the scene was the Police Air Support Unit helicopter which started to search the area looking for the children and was, at times, operating at very low levels just over the river.

The helicopter was soon joined by the Met Police’s marine unit who fortunately routinely practice mud rescue techniques (see report) and they were closely followed by the crew from Tower RNLI.

Due to the location of the casualties crew from both the Police boat and Lifeboat went ashore to assist ground units with the rescue.

Personnel from MPS Newham and local London Fire Brigade stations also contributed to the rescue effort with the incident being attended by four fire appliances and a similar number of Police units.

The London ambulance service also attended with an incident officer vehicle, a hazardous area response team and later by two ambulances.

In the end a great result involving the teamwork of multiple agencies and specialist units that ultimately led to a successful outcome with all the children accounted for, albeit with them being a bit cold, wet and muddy and hopefully more aware of the dangers of the river.

It is important to note that the RNLI isn’t publically funded and totally rely on charitable donations but like all the other emergency personnel they get in to the thick of the action to help save lives. To help support the RNLI in their mission in London (which is the busiest station in the UK) please see here.

Drama in the Docks!!

Shortly before 1200 on Monday 2nd February 2015 an incident occurred in the King George V dock in Newham, London.

Reports suggest that a vehicle entered the water and this triggered a significant response from both London City Airport and landside emergency services.

The Met Police Air Support Unit were quickly on scene providing over-watch and search capabilities if they were needed.

In addition three City Airport crash vehicles and the rescue boat were deployed on the airport property and numerous Police, Fire and Ambulance vehicles deployed to the bridge and dockside areas to provide assistance.

Reports suggest that the driver was retrieved from the water with no significant injuries.

Great teamwork and a successful outcome – a few more pictures here.