Fire and rescue service staff encouraged to apply for The Fleur Lombard Bursary

The Fleur Lombard Bursary aims to advance the education of junior members of the fire and rescue service, by the grant of bursaries to enable them to travel and study fire and rescue service related issues at other fire and rescue services elsewhere in the UK, Europe or worldwide.

If you’re interested in finding out more about an issue affecting your fire and rescue service or want to improve your understanding of fire and rescue service issues, you may be interested in applying for the bursary.

Members of fire and rescue service staff, up to and including Watch Manager or equivalent corporate staff, from any UK fire and rescue service are invited to apply for the funding to support a research trip.

The bursary is aimed at self-directed study and applications should aim to demonstrate at least one or more of the following objectives:

· Reducing fires

· And/or reducing death and injury by fire

· And/or preventing damage to property and environment by fire

· And/or reducing the risk of death or injury to firefighters

· And offering career development stemming from the study

Further information and the funding application form can be found on Avon Fire and Rescue Service’s website.

The bursary was set up in memory of Firefighter Fleur Lombard who was the first female firefighter to die on duty in peacetime Britain. She tragically died in 1996 tackling a fire in a supermarket in Staple Hill, Bristol. Fleur was posthumously awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal and Chief Fire Officer’s Commendation in recognition of her bravery. Two of her colleagues who were with her that day were also awarded the George Medal and the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery.

After Fleur’s tragic death a trust fund was set up as a fitting tribute to her bravery, courage, dedication and professionalism. The bursary aims to keep Fleur’s values alive, helping others progress their careers in the fire and rescue service.

“You won’t regret it”: Station Manager Krissy Foster-Pullen encourages fires and rescue staff to apply for Fleur Lombard Bursary

As a Control Firefighter at Avon Fire and Rescue Service, Krissy visited New York Fire Department to find out more about youth fire safety interventions thanks to the Fleur Lombard Bursary.

Krissy used the bursary funding to shadow a fire safety interventions officer, who headed up the community safety department at New York Fire Department. Krissy travelled to numerous schools in the city – including the Bronx, Queens and Long Island – to gain a better understanding of their interventions with the aim of taking these learnings back to Avon Fire & Rescue Service to improve safety interventions with local teenagers.

Now working as a Station Manager Control at Avon Fire & Rescue Service, Krissy said: “I would encourage anyone with an idea or interest to apply for the bursary, it truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel and find out more about the work of fire and rescue services across the world.

“Not only do I look back on my research and travels fondly, I learnt a lot about a completely different way of working that inspired me to bring back those new ideas to my own Service. It was an honour to keep Fleur’s memory alive by using the bursary to learn more about New York Fire Departments fire safety interventions.

“If you’re interested, I’d absolutely encourage you to apply – you won’t regret it.”