Man dies in South Elmsall crash during firefighters’ strike

The accident happened yesterday (Monday) at 10.09amw hen crews were called to Sainsbury’s local, Barnsley Road, South Elmsall. The road traffic collision involving a flatbed van had collided with the side of the building.

WYFRS emergency response to this incident comprised of three fire engines, crewed by a number of fully qualified non-striking firefighters as well as Community Response Operatives.

West Yorkshire Police and Yorkshire Ambulance Service were in attendance. The Fire Service assisted ambulance crews in giving life support to a male casualty.

Sadly the 63-year-old man died shortly after arrival at hospital.

Between 9am and 4pm the service received 39 calls and mobilised to 19 incidents (two where crews were turned back en-route as they were not needed).

Some calls were duplicates or of a minor nature where advice could be given. No emergencies went unattended. The fire service has also received no calls to bonfire-related incidents as yet today.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Steve Rhodes, said: “Sadly our crews have attended a road traffic collision today in South Elmsall which proved to be fatal.

“This incident was attended by our contingency crews comprising of non-striking fully qualified officers and Community Response Operatives, who supported other emergency responders at the scene.”

This is the 47th period of strike action taken by the Fire Brigades Union since September last year.

Contingency crews consist of non-striking fully qualified firefighters and Community Response Operatives (CROs) who have been especially recruited for the role.

The decision for strike action relates to an on-going dispute between the FBU and the Government over its public sector pension reform programme.

In particular current proposals to introduce a new Firefighters’ Pension Scheme from April 2015 to replace the two current pension schemes that most operational personnel are members of.