Bank Holiday Safety Advice

With the weather due to be good over the bank holiday weekend we’re reminding people of our safety tips to help prevent grass, wood and moor fires.

• dispose of cigarettes carefully, 
• don’t leave glass bottles lying around,
• don’t light BBQs or camp fires on dry grass/moorland,
• if you’re planning a bonfire or a garden waste fire consider waiting until this prolonged hot spell is over and never light them close to fences, trees or hedges,
• parents please speak to your children about the dangers of starting small fires, not only do they put their own lives in danger as fire can spread quickly, they also tie up our fire crews who then can’t respond to other emergencies.

We’d also like to remind people to not be tempted to go for a swim in rivers and lakes.

We know they may look like tempting places to cool off but they can be full of hidden dangers and are likely to be much colder than they look. Cold water shock can cause loss of strength and muscle coordination even for strong swimmers. If you fancy a swim please head to lifeguard patrolled beaches or your local swimming pool.

If you’re near open water and accidentally fall in float to increase your chances of survival. If you see someone else in trouble in the water call 999 and ask for the fire service inland or the coastguard at the coast.