Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service

06/09/2026

We're all getting set up here for our Open Day today!
Make sure you come down to our Service Headquarters in Clyst St George between 10am and 4pm for:

🚒 Tours of Emergency Service vehicles

🏰 Activities for all ages

🍔 Food and refreshments

🎵 Live entertainment

And much more...

Entry is free and money raised will go towards Fire Fighters Charity and Fire Aid Nepal.
We hope to see you there.

02/09/2026

Middlemoor Fire Station hosted an Impact - The Centre for Post-Collision Research, Innovation and Translation bystander enablement research programme this summer.

Over three days in Exeter, members of the public, police officers, firefighters, and clinicians took part in a series of structured exercises to test how accurately anyone can perform the basics of trauma assessment.

Across a series of modules, participants practised the building blocks of trauma assessment - checking for a pulse, assessing consciousness, classifying heart rate, and preparing simulated medication - with one module going further still: a realistic road traffic collision simulation complete with a mock 999 emergency call.

These findings will help shape future training and guidance, bringing the UK a step closer to equipping everyday people with the confidence and skills to act in the critical minutes before help arrives.

Professor Tim Nutbeam, Director of IMPACT, said: “This research simply would not have been possible without the outstanding support of Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. We are enormously grateful to everyone who gave their time, expertise and facilities to make these study days a success.

“Their commitment to improving care extends well beyond responding to emergencies - it is helping generate the evidence that will enable bystanders to provide safer, more effective care and has the potential to save lives across the South West and internationally.”

Tania Martin, Joint Operations Director of Devon Air Ambulance, said: “We’re really grateful to Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service for the support they’ve given to the BEP. Their professionalism, openness and willingness to work with us in partnership have made a huge difference in bringing this work to life.

“The event has helped us build stronger evidence and will create better opportunities to save lives in the future. It’s been a genuine pleasure to work alongside such a committed and forward-thinking team - this simply would not have been possible without them.”

In the video, Colin Sharp, of Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, talks about how the Service has been working with the programme to look at the immediate medical assistance that can be provided in the initial stages following a collision.

01/09/2026

Don't forget our Service Headquarters Open Day is this Sunday 6 September from 10am until 4pm.

It's a chance to visit our Headquarters just outside of Exeter and enjoy a day for family fun, learning about our Service and raising money for Fire Fighters Charity and Fire Aid Nepal.

More information can be found on the events section of our website.

28/08/2026

This is what can happen when items containing lithium-ion batteries are thrown away with general waste.

Vapes, laptops, headphones, toys, mobile phones and electric toothbrushes can all contain lithium-ion batteries. When these items are crushed in waste collection lorries or at waste facilities, the batteries can be damaged and ignite, potentially causing huge fires.

Thankfully, our crews were able to bring this fire under control on Wednesday before it spread further. But fires involving lithium-ion batteries can be extremely difficult and dangerous to tackle.

Please dispose of batteries and electrical items responsibly - never put them in your general waste or recycling bin 🙏🏽

⚠️ A potentially serious fire was avoided in Exeter yesterday after a recycling crew spotted smoke coming from their lorry on Pinhoe Road.

The suspected cause was a lithium battery inside a printer cartridge that had been put in the recycling. Thankfully, the crew acted quickly and nobody was hurt.

🔋 Please remember: batteries, vapes and small electrical items should never go in your household recycling or rubbish bins. They can cause fires when crushed or damaged.

Not sure how to dispose of something? Check our A–Z of waste and recycling: https://exeter.gov.uk/recycle

28/08/2026

Join us at Exmouth Seafront next Tuesday where our crews from Exmouth Fire Station are taking on the challenge to pull a fire engine along the seafront from Rockfish to Sideshore to raise money for Fire Fighters Charity .

There will also be an Emergency Services fair between 11am-2pm with stalls and family fun. The engine pull will begin at 10am.

28/08/2026

Proud of our crews who stepped forward and travelled to support colleagues across the country at this and other major incidents in recent weeks. Your professionalism, teamwork and commitment to helping others when they needed it most are qualities we can all be incredibly proud of. 👏🚒

21/08/2026

Our Ivybridge crew attended a fire in the open yesterday, caused by a campfire.

Please remember there is a ban in place for any outdoor fires. Wildfires are still a huge risk, despite some of the drizzle we’ve experienced this week.

Please help all of our firefighters and avoid any fires in the open 🔥

21/08/2026

We’re receiving a number of calls about the smell of smoke in and around Plymouth. We’re currently responding to a fire in a field beneath the Tamar Bridge. We have eight appliances at the scene.

If you can smell smoke in your area, there’s no need to call us. If the smoke is particularly thick, we recommend closing your windows and doors.

Please only call 999 if you can actually see a fire. This helps keep our phone lines available for genuine emergencies.

21/08/2026

We’ve had a welcome bit of rain this week, but it hasn’t changed the picture just yet 🌦️

With warmer weather on the way, the temporary ban on BBQs, or anything that could create a spark outside, is still in place. Keeping BBQs off the menu helps reduce the risk of fires spreading in these dry conditions.

A big thank you to everyone who’s already been following the ban - it really does make a difference 💚