The competition was open to all the UK Fire and Rescue Services and is a chance to showcase best practice and firefighter safety in the following categories:

  • Incident Command
  • Fire Ground Procedures
  • Entry Control
  • BA Wearing

Assessment is carried out using skilled staff from different Fire and Rescue Services from around the UK from Command and Control to Lead Breathing Apparatus and Fire Behaviour Instructors.

Bedfordshire’s team was made up of the following people:

  • Watch Manager (WM) Luke Stanbridge – Incident Command
  • WM Matt Hyland – Breathing Apparatus (BA) Team
  • WM Mick Orme – BA Team
  • WM Tony Mayne – BA Entry Control Officer
  • Crew Manager Dominic Cook - Fireground / Pump operator

Each team was faced with the scenario of a property fire, with teams being given 30 minutes to extinguish the fire and rescue any casualties.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Training Centre Commander, John-Joe Pekszyc said: “Winning the best BA Team award overall is an outstanding achievement considering the high level of competition. The team were ranked in the gold category which means overall out of all the teams that enter we came in the top 7”.