Firefighters help tackle pollution

FIREFIGHTERS have been working alongside environment officers to better protect the region from severe pollution incidents.

Officers from the Environment Agency were invited to train alongside crews from South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue.

Firefighters gave demonstrations of new technology deployed at incidents requiring pollution containment, including water storage and flood barrier set ups.

Station manager Shayne Tottie said: “Partnership training forms part of an ongoing aim to continually improve major emergency response procedures for the benefit of all in the local community.”

Fran Lowe, environment manager at the EA, said: “A quick response to pollution incidents is vital in order to limit the impact and in order to do that we need to work efficiently and effectively with our colleagues in the fire service.”

Report pollution incidents on the Environment Agency’s incident hotline on 0800 807060.