Service Projects

The workshop extension as part of the Northern Area Development project incorporates many sustainable and environmental attributes.

The existing sedum roof will be extended over the new facility, this roof enhances biodiversity and blends the roof into its surroundings. The car park area incorporates a permeable paving system which reduces surface water run-off and directs the drained water into a rainwater garden, this in turn reduces our flood water contribution and aids biodiversity and wildlife.

The project incorporates electric vehicle charging facilities for four ultra-low emission vehicles which aligns with our low carbon output strategy. The facility itself provides workshop facilities in the Northern area of our service, this reduces the need for all vehicles requiring statutory inspection and maintenance work from having to travel to our main workshop facility at Earlswood thus reducing the average round trip from Newtown to Earlswood by 128 road miles and our carbon footprint.

Mileage Saving example

Funding was obtained for innovation, research and collaboration work between the Fire Service, SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre in Swansea University and Welsh Government to support decarbonisation research in Public Sector buildings. A plan was developed to support new technology to help monitor, develop and enhance our understanding of the Active Buildings approach at our Stations. Progress on this Project will be captured in the next Annual Environmental Report.

For the last couple of years, the Service has grown its zero-emission green fleet alongside the diesel vehicles. A ULEV Corporate Project Group was established to manage the electric fleet and centralise the reporting on the zero emission vehicles. All decisions on electric vehicle choices and locations of charging points were initially agreed by the Group and further discussed in Staff user focus Groups.

ULEV now plays a big part towards our Green Travel Plan objectives, reducing our direct emissions to air and showing our commitment to continual environmental improvement. Over the next few years, end of life fossil fuelled vehicles will continue to be gradually replaced with zero emission, electric alternatives. With the increased number of electric vehicles, the need for an improved charging infrastructure is essential throughout the Service area.

To support this, with the increase of a fleet of electric vehicles through both the Public and Private sector organisations, collaboration opportunities through a number of external ULEV Groups has grown and the possibility to ease range anxiety of the electric vehicles will hopefully soon be resolved.

Up to the end of March 2022, 27 electric vehicles have been incorporated into our non-response, pool fleet with Charging points in 9 Service locations. These vehicles are available for all staff to use and feed back from staff is what leads the decision on the types of electric vehicles purchased in the future.

Currently, our electric range consist of VW e-golfs, Nissan Leaf vehicles and Nissan eNV200 vans.

The Service own a small number of electric bikes which are used in the Swansea and Carmarthen Command areas for Community Risk Reduction (CRR) duties. Feedback from the use of the e-bikes has been very positive and they are getting a popular choice of travel for CRR duties. The bikes are currently based at Llanelli, Carmarthen and Swansea fire stations.

These bikes are helping the Service to work towards our Green Travel Plan and Environmental objectives of carbon reduction, encourage more sustainable travel choices and will improve the health and wellbeing of Staff members. There is a cost saving in terms of wear and tear on vehicles, diesel and parking costs.

There has also been a positive response from Members of the Public when personnel arrive for an inspection on a bike instead of in a vehicle.

Since 2010, MAWWFRS has been assisting the National Fire fighters Charity to raise money through textile recycling banks located on 32 of our fire stations.

In the last financial year £28,437 has been generated for our Charity and over 151,000 tonnes of clothing re-diverted away from landfill to be re-sold, re-used or recycled!

The number of textiles donated from Members of the Public has been increasing year on year. However, unlike previous years, the income generated by the Service donations has decreased.

The Fire Fighters Charity receive a payment based on weight collected for every fire station, every month. This payment is a negotiated price that fluctuates. Therefore, during the Pandemic and the difficulties experienced by the recycling partners, the Fire Fighters Charity reduced the payment for the Clothes collected and hence this resulted in a lower income being generated.

The Service runs a number of Salary Sacrifice Schemes for its Staff to help reduce the environmental impact of both vehicles and technology. This helps give employees access to modern, safer and more fuel-efficient vehicles at a reduced cost from normal forecourt prices. The scheme assists in reducing the Service’s carbon footprint by encouraging employees to purchase new cars which emit lower carbon emissions or by purchasing bicycles.

To date, the Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme has signed up 37 vehicles, where the bike scheme has had 98 new bike contracts. Figures from the last 3 years can be seen in the table below.

Employees are encouraged to cycle to work, where possible and a number of bike sheds have been installed at various station locations. This also works towards our Green Travel objectives and our Corporate Health objectives, promoting health and wellbeing within the workplace.