Access Information

Document Types used on the Co. Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service website

[pdf] - PDF Documents can be viewed by using Adobe Acrobat. You can download it free from the Adobe website.

The following tools can be used to convert PDF documents into plain text or HTML documents. You can translate a PDF into a text only or HTML by the following methods:

• Adobe Conversion Script -
  • Online conversion tool: www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/access_onlinetools.html Type in the URL of any PDF, the document will be converted into a text only HTML document.
  • Further Information: www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/access_tools_faq.html
• Google -
  • Similarly, type in the URL of any PDF at google.com and click on 'View as HTML' in the results - the document will be converted into a text only HTML document.
• Platforms -
  • To access PDF documents on all platforms, go to GS View

[doc] - Documents published in Microsoft Word format can be viewed by Microsoft Word if it is installed on your PC or you can use a Microsoft Word Viewer, which is available from: office.microsoft.com/downloads

[ppt] - Documents published in Microsoft Power Point format can be viewed by Microsoft Power Point if it is installed on your PC or you can use a Microsoft Power Point Viewer, which is available from: office.microsoft.com/downloads

[rtf] - To view Rich Text Format File, download the document to your PC, right-click the file and select 'Open with' from the menu and choose either Notepad or Wordpad from the list. Or use the start menu, go to 'Programs' then to 'Accessories' and select 'WordPad'. Once WordPad has opened, go to 'file' in the top menu bar and select 'open' . Locate the file and open.

[txt] - To view Text documents, download the document to your PC, right-click the file and select 'Open with' from the menu and choose either Notepad or Wordpad from the list. Or use the start menu, go to 'Programs' then to 'Accessories' and select 'WordPad'. Once WordPad has opened, go to 'file' in the top menu bar and select 'open' . Locate the file and open.

Our Website Accessibility

In order to make the website more accessible, it has been designed with compliance to the standards according to the W3C, the respected authority on web governance.

APPEARANCE: The website allows font size to be adjusted in real time throughout the website. Each page contains the following links located at the top of the main content area allowing the user to have complete control the site.

For smaller text or larger text:  Clicking on "smaller" or "larger" adjusts the text size on applicable sections of the website. The link is in the top right corner of the page,

W3C: This website complies with the guidelines for accessible design as suggested by the World Wide Web Consortium. The pages on this website validate according to the following standards:

1.    All pages on this site is WCAG-AA approved, complying with priority guidelines of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
2.    All pages on this site validate as XHTML 1.0 transitional.
3.    All pages utilize custom cascading style sheets (CSS) for content and layout, and have been validated by the W3C.
4.    All pages have real-time built in accessible functions, allowing dynamic font size adjustment.
5.    Changing your browser background and text colours are described by accessing the links below.

How to Change the Browser Text and Background Colours in Firefox and Internet Explorer

Some people find certain combinations of text and background colour difficult to read. To set your own colour combination for the web pages you visit, select your browser from the list below:

• Access Information for Firefox
• Access Information for Internet Explorer