Emergency Services drive home road safety messages to young

Firefighters will cut open a car to rescue a “car crash victim” in a reconstruction at Kempston Fire Station on Friday 6th August (11.30 am), to drive home the importance of safety on the roads.

Young people aged 11-14 have signed up for Summer Safety Week hosted by Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service and other 999 organisations during the school holidays.

Summer Safety Week is a 999 action-packed week involving police, fire and ambulance emergency services where young people will learn about individual responsibility, community safety and reducing road risk.

The finale on Friday 6th August will see firefighters demonstrating a car being cut open to rescue an “injured victim”. The demo hits home the message of the importance of safe driving. Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller and High Sheriff of Bedfordshire Daniel Hanbury will attend the demo and meet the young people who have taken part in the week’s events.

Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller said: "The Fire and Rescue Service has an important role to play in promoting road safety. Firefighters rescues seven times as many people from crashed cars, and other vehicles, as they do from burning buildings. We work closely with other agencies in a variety of ways to reduce road deaths and injuries and will continue to do so - particularly with young people who sadly are the age group most likely to be involved in accidents.

"We think it is important to get across ALL safety messages over to young adults in a way which will interest them - so this 999 week is an ideal, especially as it involves our partners in the police, ambulance and other agencies."

Editor's notes

(1) Issued by Manners PR on behalf of Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service.
(2) Photographs available.
(3) For more info contact Sue Gough of Manners PR on 07921 514 940.
(4) Media welcome on Friday 6 August for the demo at 11.30 am.
Kempston Fire Station, Southfields Rd, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 7NR.