Firefighters receive funding to enhance Water Safety initiatives
Posted by Molly Meyer on 26 April 2022
As part of Be Water Aware week, Stapleford Fire Station have received funding to purchase extra equipment that can be used when they are training and educating the community about being 'water aware'.
Funding has come from both Broxtowe Borough Council and Stapleford Community Group, which has enabled Firefighters to purchase throw lines and a water rescue mannequin. This equipment will be used in training exercises focused on water safety.
The equipment will be making its debut this week, in celebration of Be Water Aware week, a national campaign to highlight safety messages when in and around water to keep our communities safe.
Kevin Tedds, project lead and Crew Manager at Stapleford Fire Station, said: “We are ever so happy and privileged that we have been able to receive such huge contributions and we would like to thank both the council and the community group for their ongoing support. Not only will this funding allow us to do more with our training, but it also gives us an opportunity to do even more in our local community, including demonstrations for the public on how to use a throw line if ever needed.
“As a town, we have seen first-hand how tragic the consequences of open water can be, so it is our plan to help make sure that everyone is safer.
“You may see us out and about in our local community a little bit more this week, as well as seeing a presence of fire crews at water hot spots around the county, to ensure we are getting the safety messages out there.”
Chief Executive of Broxtowe Borough Council, Ruth Hyde, said: “I’d like to thank Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service for all they do to respond to emergency incidents involving water where lives are at risk. Their support for the Notts Water Safety Partnership has been exceptional.
“It’s great to be able to work in partnership to help each other improve the way we can respond to risks and potentially life-threatening situations to keep on saving lives. I’m so grateful to be able to support this endeavour in such a practical way.”
Chairman of Stapleford Community Group, Richard MacRae, said: “As soon as we heard that Stapleford Fire Station needed some equipment, I asked the committee if this was something we could support with, and it was!
“We were able to purchase throw lines for them and we used the money from the Broxtowe Lotto. We would like to thank those who support us each week by taking part in the Lotto as this helps us continue to support projects such as this one.
“Our firefighters in Stapleford do a lot for their community and we are extremely pleased we have been able to give back on behalf of the whole of Stapleford."
