Securing Properties

[Hyperion]

In the event of damaging a door etc on entering a property, how do you secure the property? We currently try and make do and mend with what we’ve got on the pump. However if not salvageable then we call out a contractor to board up or the replace lock etc. Unfortunately the cost of this is mounting and the time scales of waiting for them to turn up can be a right ball ache. 

So what do you lot do? Do you carry extra kit or do similar to the above?

[Carl]

We have dedicated kit and replacement door locks. These were funded by local councils etc as replacing a composite door and surrounding brickwork isn't cheap. All GMFRS staff attended a 1 day course with Greater Manchester Police over several months and were shown techniques of gaining entry and then the specific kit issued. 

We no longer use boarding up companies for the exact reason you mention. If its council property, its down to the tenant and the council, if its private, then they claim on their insurance and get someone out. If they have no insurance, then we hope they have a mate who is good with a hammer. 

For obvious reasons I won't go into the training we had or the specific kit we have issued, but it works well.

[Brandman]

We pass the details on to the police, who then contact a firm to come and board up the property (proper slopey-shoulder).

There haven’t been many times we’ve had to stick around waiting for them to show up, as invariably the old bill get a bit nosey and send some of their lot down to wait it out instead.