Caltech lift rescue training proves timely for Dundee firefighters

Man showing control panel of lift to firefighters
Caltech Senior Lift Engineer Dylan Wood instructs Watch Manager Serge Kabamba (second right) and other members of Green Watch at Blackness Fire Station on the detials of a lift at the New Olympia car park. Pic: ASM Media & PR

Specialist lift rescue training recently provided by Caltech Lifts to a Dundee fire station proved to be very timely – when they were called out to three lifts within days!

A few weeks ago Caltech Managing Director, Andrew Renwick, received an unusual call for its expert help — from Debbie Feeney, Crew Manager of Green Watch at Blackness Fire Station. She asked if his firm would provide specialist lift rescue training for their fire officers.

Every month each watch tackles a different training topic and for July it was lifts. They were looking for someone to come and give a talk at their station, but Andrew thought it would be far better to bring the firefighters to some actual lifts in Dundee so Caltech could demonstrate emergency release training and show the general workings and features of lifts.

Emergency release

The firm also felt it was important the firefighters were trained on both hydraulic and traction lifts, as they’re very different in how they operate and how an emergency release is achieved.

Caltech’s next mission was to find appropriate lifts in Dundee where they could have 12 firefighters close enough to all see the training. It enjoys an excellent working relationship with Dundee City Council and when asked council officials were extremely keen to help. They allowed the firm to use the lifts in the car park at the new Olympia Swimming Centre and the lift at their Dundee East House on Pitkerro Road.

After both sites were checked for suitability by Caltech Managing Director Andrew Renwick and Watch Manager Serge Kabamba, the 12 firefighters and officers met with Caltech’s Technical Manager Paul Phillips and Senior Lift Engineer Dylan Wood at the new Olympia on July 31 for the morning’s training before moving on to Dundee East House .

‘Huge success’

Afterwards, Caltech was told the Fire Service deemed the training a huge success and many of the firefighters commented positively about how they’d gained valuable new information. Little did they realise they’d be using it on three separate callouts involving hydraulic lifts within days.

Speaking about the event, SFRS Watch Manager at Blackness Road Fire Station in Dundee, Serge Kabamba said: “Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is always looking for new ways to broaden the skill sets of its crews or to enhance existing skills. This event allowed us to do just that and provided us with an excellent opportunity to work with private sector business and our local authority partners in a constructive way.”

Partnership

Andrew Renwick added: “We’re very glad our training proved to be useful so soon. Many other lift companies charge for this but we think it’s important that as a local business we work in partnership with our local emergency services, so we provided the training free.

“The Fire Service in and around Dundee do a fantastic job and although being trapped in a lift can be scary, it’s actually a perfectly safe place to be unless the occupants become ill or have a panic attack.

“If we can provide some training which will allow firefighters to release trapped passengers with little or no damage to lifts, then it’s a huge bonus to our Dundee clients as well as meaning less time out of service and no repair bills!”

“We’d like to thank Dundee City Council for their invaluable support with this training session.

Sandra Cole
Sandra Cole
05/08/2022
I would like to say a huge thank you to your team for the excellent customer service you have provided to my parents in Dundee. You have gone way beyond providing a service. My mum is disabled and cannot function at home without her stairlift. She is by all accounts housebound. The support you have given them is quite frankly unbelievable and it is blatantly apparent how much you care. I cannot recommend your company highly enough. My parents are my world and I have no words to explain just how well you have looked after them. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are amazing. Sandra Cole.
Lynn N
Lynn N
14/02/2022
Quoted and fitted a stairlift for my parents at short notice and at a significantly lower price than all the national competitors. Happy to support a local company, and we were delighted with the service - from sales staff to the guy who performed the installation.
kev
kev
08/06/2021
We (Alpha Projects) have worked with Caltech Lifts on several projects and would not hesitate to highly recommend the company. We have always found Caltech to offer a friendly, personable service and carry out their works in an efficient, safe and timely manner.
John Fort
John Fort
07/05/2021
Cannot thank Caltech enough for swift service in getting our lift back up and running in time when we urgently needed it most, could not have got this service any where else top job guys - Thank you again - The Fort Hotel Broughty Ferry Dundee
Jason Sellars
Jason Sellars
18/12/2020
An absolute pleasure to deal with. Having discussed my requirements Caltech were able to provide a stairlift that matched my criteria and budget perfectly. Very impressed by their clear, friendly and fast communication as well as punctuality . Installation work by engineer Tony is impeccable, and was carried out very efficiently with no disruption at all. He also gave excellent step by step instructions on using the lift (we all observed Covid awareness throughout). This stairlift has helped to lift my mum out of what has been a very difficult time for her, and I'm so pleased to have supported such a well deserving local company. Thanks again Murray, Graeme and Tony!
Robert Sloan
Robert Sloan
13/12/2020
I would highly recommend Caltech Lifts as just installed a stair lift into my mothers home. From start to finish all those involved have been very professional, efficient, keeping us informed throughout the whole process. The installation was carried out to a high standard. Special thanks to Graeme and Tony
Henry Donaldson
Henry Donaldson
19/07/2020
We recently had a problem with the lift in the care home myself and my wife run - our current service provider said we were going to have to spend £20,000 to upgrade the equipment so naturally I got a second price. To my absolute delight Caltech sent an engineer out to take details but also to spend a little time on the lift to which they managed to resolve the intermittent fault and it has now been running perfectly for 6 weeks!! Can't thank the team enough.
Brian J Kidd
Brian J Kidd
03/07/2017
Super helpful. Great service and staff, highly recommend