Firefighters fundraise after UK colleagues killed

Firefighters in Jersey have had a "heartwarming" response to a fundraising event after two UK colleagues were killed during a blaze in Oxfordshire earlier this month, service bosses say.

Firefighters Martyn Sadler, 38, and Jennie Logan, 30, were killed along with business owner Dave Chester in a fire in Bicester on 15 May.

Crews from Green Watch attended Royal Square on Tuesday and raised more than £1,600 for the Fire Fighters Charity, which offers care and support to staff and families.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Bryn Coleman says the incident "absolutely reinforces how dangerous the occupation can be and how fragile our safety is".

He said: "We all go to work every morning, doing our best for our colleagues and for islanders, and this really brings home how dangerous firefighting can be as an occupation.

"It really reinforces the vital work of the Fire Fighters Charity if we are to to be injured in the course of duty."

States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service (SJFRS) said the charity was originally set up during World War Two to support the bereaved families of firefighters who died during the London Blitz.

The fundraiser also provided an opportunity for islanders to talk to Jersey firefighters and take a tour of two SJFRS fire engines, it added.

Mr Coleman added: "We have seen tremendous support from the community here in Jersey for the work of the fire and rescue service, which is really, really heartwarming."

"The number of fires we get in Jersey is equivalent to the United Kingdom.

"It is no safer place than anywhere else, so absolutely there's a risk of tragic events occurring, as they have done in the past, and indeed in the future."

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