All posts tagged: safety

New partnership to keep older people safe

19/02/2015 Skillzoneadmin SkillZONE

Safety education centre SkillZONE has formed a new partnership with Gloucestershire Telecare to work together in helping older people stay safe and independent at home.

SkillZONE runs two hour safety tours to schools and community groups in its state-of-the-art building. Currently over 70 percent of the visitors to SkillZONE are school trips but through working with Telecare the partners hope to reach more older people with their important safety messages.

Gloucestershire Telecare has now fitted SkillZONE’s house with a range of specialist equipment it uses to support people to live independently and at home for longer. SkillZONE volunteers will be able to showcase this assistive technology to groups visiting the centre.

Using special sensors Telecare helps manage risks such as medication management or falls and also detects potential emergencies at home such as fires, gas leaks and floods. This equipment is linked to a 24 hour monitoring centre with trained operators.

Cllr Dorcas Binns, cabinet member for older people, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for partners to work together for the benefit of our older community and their families. Educating young people through the centre will also raise awareness of Telecare as we hope that they will be able to pass on this invaluable information to others.”

Will Windsor-Clive, cabinet member for fire and safety, said: “SkillZONE already teach about fire safety and personal safety in the home and we are pleased to add the Telecare equipment to our house so we can raise the profile of this excellent service for those who need it.”

Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service already works with Telecare to identify people who may need specialist equipment to stay safe in their homes. Together they identify, provide and fit the equipment ensuring a joined up approach to home safety.

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Notes to editor

To find out more about Telecare visit: www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/telecare/home
For more information on SkillZONE visit skillzonetest.co.uk

Don’t let a fire ruin your Christmas

09/12/2014 Skillzoneadmin SkillZONE

From Christmas dinner to wrapping presents there’s a lot to remember at Christmas so Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding residents not to forget fire safety.

Fire Kills statistics show that in December, 20 people a day are either killed or injured in accidental fires in the home in England. Last December, there were around 2,700 accidental fires in the home in England – more than any other month of the year.

While fire safety is important throughout the year, the extra distractions and activity around Christmas such as cooking more, drinking more and using extra heating is reason to be vigilant during the festive season.

Chimney fires are also prevalent at this time of year and GFRS firefighters attended 17 chimney fires in November, with the majority in Stroud and the Cotswolds.

Worryingly, seven of those chimney fires were in homes without a working smoke alarm.

GFRS Chief Fire Officer, Stewart Edgar said: “As wonderful as Christmas is, we know it also brings extra fire risk because of the use of candles, fairy lights on Christmas trees and decorations. So please take extra care to keep loved ones safe from fire. From everyone at Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service we wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas.”

Here are some tips to help you and your family enjoy Christmas safely:

• Ensure you have working smoke alarms installed on all levels of your home and test them weekly.
• Never leave cooking unattended.
• Never leave burning candles unattended.
• Put your cigarette out, right out.
• Don’t overload sockets.
• Ensure you switch off fairy lights when you go to bed.
• Make sure that everyone in your home knows what to do in a fire – that you should get out, stay out and call 999.

For more information on the Fire Kills campaign you can visit their Facebook page www.facebook.com/firekills and watch the short Fire Kills Christmas Tree video at http://youtu.be/hMtjGfr0tYs

Whether you trick or treat, stay safe this Halloween

23/10/2014 Skillzoneadmin SkillZONE

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service and its educational centre, SkillZONE, is reminding parents to keep their families safe this Halloween.

They are particularly alerting people to the safety risks that come with lighting candles for Halloween pumpkins. Tips include using a candle holder and to keep them away from anything that could catch fire, like Halloween decorations, curtains and costumes.

Area Manager John Beard, Head of Prevention & Protection for Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service said: “Halloween has grown year on year and understandably, there is a lot of excitement around it. We don’t want to stop children enjoying themselves, but we would ask that parents take extra care to make sure Halloween is safe as well as fun.”

SkillZONE Manager Donna Potts adds: “We teach fire safety to every young person who visits our centre along with using candles safely – especially tea-lights.”

“Battery operated candles are the safest way to go at Halloween but if you are going to have a naked flame make sure to place lit pumpkins away from anything that can burn.”

Here are a few simple measures to protect children as they trick, treat and enjoy their spooky celebrations:

Be aware flowing items such as fake hair and capes can become hazardous if they are worn near naked flames such as candles.
Ensure that you use only fire retardant costumes for dressing up and that children can see out of masks.
Remember that Halloween costumes like plastic capes can pose a fire risk.
Keep children and pets away from garden candles and lanterns or any open flames. Be sure they know how to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches fire.
Always keep exits clear of decorations, so nothing blocks escape routes.

Smoke alarms save lives, test yours when the clocks change

23/10/2014 Skillzoneadmin SkillZONE No comments

Smoke is responsible for over half of accidental house fire deaths which is why Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) is backing a campaign to get residents to test their smoke alarms when the clocks go back this weekend.

Smoke is known as the silent killer but a working smoke alarm can give people the wake-up call they need to escape. In the majority of fire deaths in the home there are either no smoke alarms in place or they did not go off, with a common cause being missing or flat batteries.

GFRS is supporting the national Fire Kills campaign to remind people that a simple push of the alarm test button will test both the power supply and the detection mechanism.

Gloucestershire County Council cabinet member for fire and rescue, councillor Will Windsor Clive said: “You are at least four times more likely to die in a fire if you don’t have a working smoke alarm, so taking the time to test the smoke alarms in your home could be a truly life saving decision.

“The clock change weekend can be a great reminder to test your smoke alarms so over the weekend of 25-26 October why not test yours when changing the clocks.”

GFRS Chief Fire Officer Stewart Edgar said: “The prevention of fires and protection of people in our community is our service’s top priority and we carried out 3,635 home safety visits and fitted 4,992 smoke alarms in the past year.

“You will walk past your smoke alarm countless times every day and we just ask that you spend a few seconds checking its working when you change the clocks this weekend.

“Half of the people who died in fires in the home last year were 65 years old or over. So as well as testing your own alarms please help older people by checking theirs.”

GFRS firefighter Paul Barrett provided a free home safety visit to Mrs Blowing, 77, of Cirencester after a leaflet drop offering the service.

She said: “I did have an old smoke alarm but I have to admit I hadn’t checked if it worked; now I know to check my new one regularly. I learnt a lot about fire risks and hazards.”

Jerry Evans, 76, of Meysey Hampton was also visited by Paul. He said: “We had much better smoke alarms fitted and they were very professional about their advice. “I think any old age pensioner should have these checks as it was a real eye-opener.”

To pledge to the campaign after doing your alarm test visit the Fire Kills facebook page or www.gov.uk/firekills If you know someone that may be vulnerable or at risk of a fire you can call 0800 180 4140 or email safeguardingconcerns@glosfire.gov.uk to arrange a free home safety check.

Interactive safety centre offers free tours

28/08/2014 Skillzoneadmin SkillZONE No comments

Over 1,000 Year 5 pupils in Gloucestershire have been taught life-saving safety tips since funded visits to the country’s newest safety centre, SkillZONE began in April.

Pupils from St Paulâ€™s Primary school learning about water safety on a visit to SkillZONE.

Pupils from St Paul’s Primary school learning about water safety on a visit to SkillZONE.

More primary schools are being urged to take advantage of their free visit for Year 5 pupils (saving around £150 per class) by booking a trip this term. The Â£35,000 Gloucestershire County Council funded initiative is until March 31, 2015.

The state-of-the-art facility in Gloucester uses realistic sights, smells and noises to teach children life skills and about safety. Scenarios such as a dark alley, a beach or an internet cafe are used to get important messages across such as stranger danger, water safety or cyber bullying.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service’s Chief Fire Officer Stewart Edgar says; “It gives me great pleasure to provide these safety lessons to every Year 5 pupil and it was heartening to see we were fully booked by schools last term.”

SkillZONE teaches children about vital decisions such as how to evacuate from a house fire or treat a burn and we want as many pupils as possible to benefit from these free sessions.

In a survey completed by 30 schools visiting SkillZONE as part of the Year 5 offer 96% of teachers said they were “very satisfied” by their tour and 92% said they believed their pupils were “a great extent” safer following their visit.

All groups will learn road safety, fire safety and hazards in the home during their 2 hour tour and teachers can choose 6 other scenarios such as a bus, a police cell, a Magistrate’s court and a shop.

To find out more about SkillZONE or to book visit: skillzonetest.co.uk

Free trips for Year 5

05/08/2014 Skillzoneadmin SkillZONE No comments

Gloucestershire primary schools are being urged to take advantage of their free visit for Year 5 pupils (saving around £150 per class) by booking a trip when the new school term starts.

The £35,000 Gloucestershire County Council funded initiative must be used by the end of March 2015.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service’s Chief Fire Officer Stewart Edgar says; “Keeping young people safe and the prevention of accidents and injuries is integral to our role. SkillZONE tackles this by teaching children how to make life-saving decisions whether that’s wearing a seatbelt or how to evacuate from a house fire.”

I am thrilled we are able to provide these safety lessons to every Year 5 child and I believe they will leave us armoured with essential life skills which they can share with their families.

The state-of-the-art facility in Gloucester uses realistic sights, smells and noises to enhance each group’s experience of nine different scenarios which teach children about safety.

All groups will learn road safety, fire safety and hazards in the home during their 2 hour tour and teachers can choose 6 other scenarios such as water safety, an internet cafe, a Magistrate’s court and a shop.

To find out more about SkillZONE or to book visit: skillzonetest.co.uk

Safe Summer Day pulls huge crowd despite rain

22/07/2014 Skillzoneadmin SkillZONE No comments

Torrential rain and thunderstorms couldn’t dampen the spirit of over 1,000 enthusiastic residents who turned up for Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service’s first ever Safe Summer Fun Day on Saturday July 19th.

Fire truck demonstrations, a robot treasure hunt and a chance to tour the newest safety centre in the country is just a sample of what was enjoyed by the record number of people for an open day.

Firefighter house rescue.

Working together with safety centre, SkillZONE and Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership the flagship event for the fire service this year offered a chance for local residents to visit Gloucester South Fire Station and experience SkillZONE.

The free family event promoted the underlying theme of having a safe summer holiday and was also packed full of great kid’s activities in the KidZONE such as face painting, games and coloring.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Geoff Sallis says: “We were overwhelmed by the great crowd of local people who came to our event despite the rain. Along with enjoying all the activities on offer we hope that residents took on board the summer safety advice for a happy holiday.”

“A big thank-you to all that supported this year’s Safe Summer Fun Day whether they were stall holders or our partners such as the Police, Ambulance, British Red Cross and the RNLI.”

Nathan Timbrell, with 2 year old Shay meeting PCSO Tracy Wren and Colin the Crocodile Copper.

Longlevens resident Vanessa Rose says; “I’ve been to lots of fire station open days and this was the best yet. There was lots of interaction and it exceeded my expectations. The kids loved it.”

Phillip Marshall of Linden added; “Everything seen today reinforced good safety messages for the kids. If you tell them as parents they don’t listen but learning from the people here at SkillZONE really brings it home. It’s been awesome.”

Hundreds of visitors took up the chance to try out SkillZONE’s innovative safety village and 130 children were given out goodie bags for completing the robot treasure hunt.

Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership provided The Bike hub with Gloucester Bike Project offering free safety checks and tune ups, a pedal powered smoothie maker and 7-11 year old children took part in the off-road bike handling skills activity. Go karts were also run by Cirkitz International and Kwik Fit, giving users a chance to find out how dangerous it is to drive under the influence by wearing special beer goggles.

In the afternoon fire truck demonstrations kept crowds entertained and dancers from Linda Virgoe Dance Academy performed their modern, jazz and ballet routine.

Skillzone uses hair straighteners to cook breakfast with local pupils

23/06/2014 Skillzoneadmin SkillZONE No comments

As part of this year’s Child Accident Prevention Week (23-29 June 2014), pupils from Kingsholm Primary School will visit Gloucestershire’s only safety centre to learn about the dangers of burns and scalding caused by hair straighteners.

This year the awareness week, led by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT), will focus on the theme of ‘Morning Mayhem’.

Stewart Edgar, Chief Fire Officer said: “We know that for many the morning can be a busy time – especially for those who have young children. By teaching young people the dangers of hair straighteners along with other house hold items we’re helping to keep them safe from serious injury.

“Hair straighteners stay hot for longer than you think. Your child can be burned if they touch them – even if they’ve been unplugged for up to 15 minutes. By storing hair straighteners safely on a high shelf or inside a heatproof bag keeps them out of children’s reach.”

CAPT reports that hair straightener burns have doubled in recent years and now contribute to one in ten burns to children. In addition, six toddlers are admitted to hospital every day as a result of being badly burned.

Cllr Will Windsor Clive, Cabinet member for fire, planning and infrastructure said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to learn the simple skills to help protect themselves from an easily preventable emergency. The SkillZONE centre provides a great service to children meaning they can make the right choices now and later on in life.”

If you or your school would like to find out more about SkillZONE visit skillzonetest.co.uk. For a limited period, primary schools in Gloucestershire can bring their Year 5 pupils for free.

Safety at the heart of family fun day

28/05/2014 Skillzoneadmin SkillZONE No comments

Fire truck demonstrations, go karts and a chance to tour the newest safety centre in the country is just a taste of what Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Serviceâ€™s Safe Summer Fun Day will offer on Saturday July 19th from 10:30am – 4pm at Gloucester South Fire Station on Tuffley Road, Gloucester GL4 0AS.

Bringing together all aspects of safety, this free event for all the family will be held inside and outside the fire station and at its neighbouring safety education centre, SkillZONE.

The day will be packed full of great kids activities such as face painting but it will also promote the underlying theme of having a safe summer holiday.

Visitors will get a chance to try out SkillZONEâ€™s innovative safety village and children will be able to take part in a safety treasure hunt with the centreâ€™s Staysafeatron robots.

Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership will also host a mini Level 1 Bikeability session and go karts for people to find out how dangerous it is to drive drunk by wearing special â€˜beer gogglesâ€™ which simulate what it feels like to be under the influence.

Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer, Stewart Edgar says â€œPut Saturday July 19th in your diary as we are planning a wonderful day with lots of exciting things happening to keep you entertained along with good food and refreshments.â€

â€œAs well as providing a community open day to both our facilities this is going to be the flagship event for safety this summer and is not to be missed.â€

Other partners such as the Police, the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner, RNLI, British Red Cross and Bikesafe will also take part in the Safe Summer Fun Day. Different elements of safety will be focused on in the weeks leading up to the event with top safety tips offered to the public through social media which cover road safety, fire safety and water safety.

Putting safety first sparks new career for Dominic

23/05/2014 Skillzoneadmin SkillZONE No comments

From keeping schoolchildren safe to fighting fires, Dominic Tarulli hasn’t looked back since he started volunteering at SkillZONE.

The 20-year-old has been working at Gloucestershire’s safety education centre since it launched, and in that time he’s helped hundreds of young people and community groups tour the facility.

Now he’s encouraging more community-minded people to volunteer – guiding groups around the centre, which uses realistic settings to teach everything from road safety to hazards in the home.

Dominic said: “Just knowing that you are making children happy and safe is why I do it. I remember when my little cousins came with their school and they really looked up at me for working here.”

“That moment was particularly rewarding, just seeing them smile and learning something important as well.”

While working at SkillZONE, Dominic applied to attend the Fire Service College Firefighter Foundation Development Programme.

He said: “As cliche as it sounds it is a childhood dream to be a firefighter and I wanted to follow it through. I used to go to all the fire service open days and absolutely loved it. This was a great opportunity to get closer to that goal.”
Sponsored by the Fire Service College, Dominic completed the nine-week intense firefighter course in Moreton-in-Marsh, and is now looking for roles.

He added: “I’ve never done anything so hard, but I loved every minute of it and I am proud to have qualified as a firefighter at the end of it.”

SkillZONE needs more volunteer guides to take groups on two-hour tours of the centre scenarios, at which they encourage visitors to identify dangers and come up with ways to avoid risks.

Candidates come from all walks of life and only need to be able to give a minimum of two days a month. Along with on-the-job training, volunteers are offered courses in safeguarding, first aid, health and safety, and equality and diversity. SkillZONE also gives job references and pays for mileage.

Cllr Will Windsor-Clive, cabinet member for fire, planning and infrastructure, said: “There are many good reasons to volunteer at SkillZONE. For Dominic it was helping him get closer to his dream career, but at the very least it gives people an opportunity to give something back to the community. It doesn’t demand any huge commitment and it’s extremely rewarding work.”

If you are interested in volunteering, visit http://www.skillzonetest.co.uk.co.uk/volunteer or call 01452 834 150.

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