With the school holidays fast approaching, Cleveland Fire Brigade is encouraging residents to be ‘champions’ this summer with five key safety messages that will mean all residents can go for gold and feel ‘Triomphe-ant’ just like the Euro Winners and Olympian medallists.
It’s bound to be an eventful season, just as the Euros finish the Paris Olympics will commence, and to keep you safe and ensure you have a ‘Seine-sational’ time, we’re launching our campaign today (Monday 1st July).
Robin Turnbull, Area Manager, Prevention, Protection and Engagement, Cleveland Fire Brigade said: “Often people’s guards are down during the holidays, whether that’s from socialising, drinking or just feeling more relaxed when the sun is out and wanting to cool down, but with our top tips we hope everyone can become a champion this summer.
It is widely understood that the level of deliberate fires increases during school holiday periods and last year there were 625 secondary fires recorded across the Brigade area between 1st July and 2nd September, with 90% of these classed as deliberate.”
The campaign will follow five key themes which will focus on safety, these are: outdoor safety, water safety, cooking safety, prevention safety and road safety.
So, whether you’re planning a countryside walk along a river, an evening stroll down your local beach, food and drink with friends, here are some simple guidelines to help keep you safe and #BeAChampion.
· Have a picnic – BBQs are one of the main causes of accidental fires in the Summer and their impact on wildlife and nature can be devastating as well as being highly dangerous to residents
· Stay safe swimming – only swim where there is a qualified lifeguard, rivers should never be used as a place to cool down, stick to your local swimming pool or a beach with a lifeguard on site
· Keep looking while you’re cooking – the kitchen is one of the main ways a house fire can start, whether it’s from a hob being left on by accident, leaving food cooking without it being supervised, or having plugs and tea towels around kitchen equipment, so always check everything is switched off before you leave the kitchen
· Take your rubbish home – litter can often be a cause of deliberate fires and can help fires spread, so either take your rubbish home or bin it
· Leave the car keys at home if you’re drinking – arrange a safe way to get home before going out, whether it’s pre-booking a taxi, checking bus and train times or getting a lift home from a friend, or why not stay in and make your own mocktails or try alternatives such as Alcohol-Free Beers, Nozeco, or soft drinks like lemonade and cola.
Keep checking our social media channels and website for more hints and tips throughout Summer. If you have any information on who is behind deliberate fires in your area please get in touch via FireStoppers which is 100% anonymous. Alternatively, you can call them on 0800 169 5558.
