Nottinghamshire And Derbyshire Fire Services Back RNLI's Float To Live Campaign

Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service (NFRS), Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service (DFRS) and local water safety organisations have joined forces to support the RNLI's Float to Live campaign in support of World Drowning Prevention Day.

Representatives from both fire and rescue services, alongside water safety partners, recently visited Spring Lakes, near Long Eaton, to demonstrate the simple but potentially life-saving Float to Live technique used to help people if they find themselves in difficulty in open water.

The campaign comes as organisations across the UK continue to raise awareness of the risks associated with open water, particularly during the warmer summer months when more people visit rivers, lakes, reservoirs and quarries. Emergency services are reminding the public that even on hot days, water temperatures can remain dangerously cold, leading to cold water shock and increasing the risk of drowning.

The event at Spring Lakes saw open water swimmers demonstrate the RNLI's advice to:

• Tilt your head back with your ears submerged
• Relax and try to control your breathing
• Use your hands to help you stay afloat
• Spread your arms and legs
• Once your breathing is under control, call for help or swim to safety if possible

Spring Lakes was chosen as the venue because of its longstanding partnership with both fire and rescue services. The site regularly hosts joint water rescue training exercises involving Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire crews, providing a valuable environment to strengthen skills, develop cross-border working and ensure firefighters are prepared to respond to water-related emergencies.

Events Manager at Spring Lakes, Sarah Down, said: "It has been a privilege for Spring Lakes to partner with Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Services in support of the RNLI's Float to Live campaign, providing a venue to demonstrate and educate people about the life-saving Float to Live technique.

"We are proud to support organisations working to improve water safety awareness and help people understand how to stay safe around open water."

World Drowning Prevention Day, taking place on Saturday 25 July 2026, is led by the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), and aims to raise awareness of water safety, encouraging people to understand the risks posed by open water. The day forms part of a wider effort to reduce the number of accidental drownings across the UK through education and prevention.

Ellie Gillatt, Area Manager for Community Safety at Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service, said:

"The deaths in Derbyshire this summer, together with the tragic incidents reported nationally, underline why water safety must remain a shared priority for emergency services, local partners, landowners, schools, families and communities.

"Every fatality represents a family and a community changed forever. While our firefighters and specialist teams are trained to respond when people are in difficulty, our collective focus must be on prevention: helping people understand the risks, making safety advice visible and accessible, and ensuring clear, consistent messages reach those most likely to spend time near open water.

"National Drowning Prevention Day is a key date to underline the importance of this work, and campaigns such as Float to Live are an important part of that wider approach. They give partners a simple, memorable message to promote together and help people make safer choices before they enter, or even get close to, the water. By working collaboratively across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, we can strengthen awareness, reduce risk and help prevent further avoidable tragedies."

Tom Archer, Area Manager and Head of Prevention at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We hope families enjoy spending time in and around water safely this summer, but our message is clear: anyone can get into difficulty in open water, even strong swimmers.

"While air temperatures may be high, many inland waters across the UK remain at 16°C or below, which is cold enough to trigger cold water shock. This can cause an involuntary gasp response, panic, loss of breathing control and an inability to swim, often within seconds.

"Working alongside Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service and our wider water safety partners allows us to reach more people with these potentially life-saving messages and promote a consistent approach to water safety across our communities.

"That's why we urge people to exercise extreme caution around rivers, lakes, reservoirs and other open water sites. If you see somebody struggling in the water, call 999 immediately and ask for the Fire and Rescue Service."

Amy Cartledge, Risk Reduction Manager at Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service, said: "If you are heading near open water this summer, take a few minutes before you go to think about what could happen and what you would do in an emergency. Check the location, keep to designated areas, avoid going into the water, and make sure children and young people are supervised at all times.

"If you do ever get into difficulty in water, do not try to swim hard or fight the water. Lean back, spread your arms and legs, control your breathing and float until the initial panic passes, then call for help or swim to safety if you can. If you see someone else in trouble, do not enter the water to try to rescue them. Call 999 immediately, ask for the fire and rescue service, and use anything nearby that floats to help them stay above the water."

Both services attend a range of water-related incidents each year, including reports of people in difficulty in rivers, lakes and other inland waterways. While specialist rescue teams are trained to respond to these emergencies, prevention remains the most effective way to keep people safe.

This partnership highlights the commitment of both fire and rescue services, the Nottinghamshire Water Safety Partnership and wider water safety organisations in educating local communities and preventing avoidable tragedies. This initiative was supported by Nottingham Swim School, Nottingham City Council and Broxtowe Borough Council.

Chair of Nottinghamshire's Water Safety Partnership and Chief Executive at Gedling Borough Council, Mike Hill, said: "It's a privilege to see Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Services coming together to help spread this important water safety message.

"The strength of the Nottinghamshire Water Safety Partnership lies in the range of organisations that share a commitment to preventing drowning and keeping people safe around water. By working collaboratively, sharing expertise and delivering joint campaigns such as this, we can reach more people with potentially life-saving advice and encourage everyone to enjoy the water safely."

As schools prepare to break up for the summer holidays, residents and visitors are being encouraged to enjoy the region's waterways responsibly, avoid taking unnecessary risks around water and familiarise themselves with the Float to Live advice before heading out.

Families looking to build their confidence around open water this summer can take part in free Swim Safe sessions, delivered by the charity Bluetonic, which also take place at Spring Lakes. Click here to read more and book a slot.

For more information about the RNLI's Float to Live campaign, visit www.rnli.org/safety/float-to-live.