Jun 12, 2026 · 31 min · 10 segments
In this edition explore the Safe System in practice with Chief Officer Craig Flannery and Head of Community Safety Aled Griffiths from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. They discuss how fire…
Craig FlanneryGuest
Aled GriffithsGuestJamesHostSo Craig, let me start with you as the new chief of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue.
How do you see your services role within post-crash of the safe system? So in terms
of the post-crash kind of response perspective, and you'll be absolutely familiar that we've been attending road traffic collisions for a number of years now.
And I think it's fair to say that back in the day when we were road traffic collision instructors going back probably 15 years ago things have moved on considerably since then and so I think you know certainly the services role has needed to evolve with the times with the new technology the new ways of you know the cars are new much safer but it makes it more difficult for our firefighters and crews when they need to then intervene and do some rescues so I think from that perspective, we've got better, more equipment, able to deal with more of the technology.
And I'll just give you a prime example of that in terms of my role as the Chief Fire Officer supporting the evolution of road traffic collision attendance.
So back in my day, it was about cut the roof off, do a B post rip, create that space.
But then towards the latter part of my career in training with the number of SRS systems, safety restraint systems in, even then it started to change of, well, you know, you need to cut what you need to cut and you need to create the space that you need to create to get the casualty out.
Fast forward now, we're now using much more safe tunnelling techniques because we don't want to cut if we don't have to cut and there's different ways of actually getting the casualty out.
So I think... there's been a natural evolution of road traffic collision, you know, that kind of post-crash response that we attend.
I think the other thing as well, I just mentioned at this point as well, two other things.
They'll tell you where the SRSs are, where the kind of safety restraints are, the pretensioners, things like that.
And so using a risk-based assessment on vehicles when we're actually dealing with them, because they could be hybrid.
And so using data to help inform our kind of professional practice, I think, is really important.
And it's interesting that, you know, I've worked with your colleague Ian for a number of years prior to him retiring from the fire service.
And both myself and Ian were instrumental, I think it's fair to say, in bringing IEC, so the immediate emergency care trauma course, into Wales.
So Craig, let me start with you as the new chief of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue.
How do you see your services role within post-crash of the safe system? So in terms
of the post-crash kind of response perspective, and you'll be absolutely familiar that we've been attending road traffic collisions for a number of years now.
And I think it's fair to say that back in the day when we were road traffic collision instructors going back probably 15 years ago things have moved on considerably since then and so I think you know certainly the services role has needed to evolve with the times with the new technology the new ways of you know the cars are new much safer but it makes it more difficult for our firefighters and crews when they need to then intervene and do some rescues so I think from that perspective, we've got better, more equipment, able to deal with more of the technology.
And I'll just give you a prime example of that in terms of my role as the Chief Fire Officer supporting the evolution of road traffic collision attendance.
So back in my day, it was about cut the roof off, do a B post rip, create that space.
But then towards the latter part of my career in training with the number of SRS systems, safety restraint systems in, even then it started to change of, well, you know, you need to cut what you need to cut and you need to create the space that you need to create to get the casualty out.
Fast forward now, we're now using much more safe tunnelling techniques because we don't want to cut if we don't have to cut and there's different ways of actually getting the casualty out.
So I think... there's been a natural evolution of road traffic collision, you know, that kind of post-crash response that we attend.
I think the other thing as well, I just mentioned at this point as well, two other things.
They'll tell you where the SRSs are, where the kind of safety restraints are, the pretensioners, things like that.
And so using a risk-based assessment on vehicles when we're actually dealing with them, because they could be hybrid.
And so using data to help inform our kind of professional practice, I think, is really important.
And it's interesting that, you know, I've worked with your colleague Ian for a number of years prior to him retiring from the fire service.
And both myself and Ian were instrumental, I think it's fair to say, in bringing IEC, so the immediate emergency care trauma course, into Wales.
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