Fire

Broad range of legal services for fire authorities nationwide based on years of experience in this specialist sector.

Authorities are unique and high-profile organisations carrying out a crucial and sensitive area of public sector work. For the individuals charged with managing these responsibilities, compliance with the law, regulations and standards of performance are vitally important issues. Lapses can be costly, not only financially but also in terms of reputation and impact on public confidence.

Weightmans' Fire team are acknowledged experts in this specialist sector, having acted for Fire Authorities nationwide for many years on a range of contentious and non-contentious issues. These include regulatory matters such as health and safety and the environment, employers’ and public liability claims, employment law (including issues relating the legality of strike action) and fire operational advice.

Our extensive experience gives us a unique insight into your needs and expectations as a public employer. We understand the demands and pressures placed upon you, and have in-depth knowledge of the legal, social and political environment you work within. In particular, we recognise the public policy considerations that must be taken into account and the need to preserve and protect the reputation and good standing of your organisation.

Ultimately our aim is to develop you achieve your goals, and we do this by developing a close working relationship founded on trust, competency and efficiency. The advice we offer is concise, practical and realistic, tailored to meet your needs as a unique organisation with specific needs and expectations.

Members of our Fire Team are authors of “Emergency Services Law and Liability," published recently by Jordans.

Weightmans is proud to be sponsoring the tenth World Firefighter Games which will be staged across the Merseyside region from 25 August to 3 September 2008, featuring 60 sporting events and attracting up to 5000 competitors from all over the world. For further information about the games or details on how to become a volunteer please click on the following link to visit their website: http://www.wfg08.com/

Fire Services - May 2008
This bulletin is specifically designed to deal with issues that are relevant to Fire Services including new law and legislation, changes in the law, government proposals and reform and anything else of interest and importance. In this edition we look at case law on the extent of a fire authority’s duty when attending at a fire, data protection, violence to fire fighters from the public, accidents in the workplace, protection from harassment and alcohol-related dismissals. We also provide updates on the government’s equality and diversity strategy, legislation to protect emergency workers, pensions and ill health retirement, the government’s Equality & Diversity Strategy for fire services and Weightmans’ IT Data Scheme set to launch in Birmingham on 24 June and in Manchester on 25 June 2008.