Demands for Humberside helicopter fire-at-sea team to be reinstated

Fire chiefs in the UK are demanding the reinstatement of helicopter winch training, which will allow their officers to respond to fires at sea.
In 2015, the Maritime Coastguard Agency stopped training for fire crews boarding vessels by helicopter, and as a direct result, the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service were forced to withdraw their fire-at-sea operation at the beginning of 2017.
The Humberside Fire and Rescue Service are now calling on Nick Hurd – the fire and policing minister – in order to get the training reinstated.
Back in 2016, a Humberside Fire Authority report warned that they would “reluctantly” stop going to vessel fires at sea if the position remained as it was.
Chris Blacksell, the fire chief, has said that firefighters are unable to attend refresher courses, as the withdrawal of winch training meant that certificates lapsed.