Residents are being given the opportunity to find out more about their local fire and rescue service at a number of open days organised by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service this summer.
Newcastle East Community Fire Station, in Byker, will throw open its doors to residents on Saturday 7 July from 11am to 3pm.
Firefighters will be on hand to give fire safety advice to visitors about the importance of having working smoke alarms, how to plan an escape route in case of fire, keeping safe in the kitchen while cooking and how to avoid electrical fires. There will also be operational drills and chip pan demonstrations.
There will be opportunities to look around the station and the fire appliances, see how the specialist equipment works and learn how Firefighters deal with different emergency situations including road traffic collisions and swift water rescues. There will also be drills by local members of the Young Firefighters’ Association.
Attractions will include face painting, bouncy castle, funfair ride and hot food. Various Fire Service appliances and equipment will be available for members of the community to view including firefighting appliances, an Aerial Ladder Platform, Command Unit and Emergency Rescue Boat. Specialist vehicles from the Police and the Ambulance Service will also be on view.
District Manager for Newcastle Tony Markwell, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, explained why the open days are an important feature in the Service's calendar: "Keeping the public safe drives the work of everyone in Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service. People often think they can't come into a fire station but we are at the heart of the local community and we welcome residents in and invite them to use the community rooms. Open days like this are a chance for us to spread our fire safety messages and help people find out how to keep themselves and their families’ safe from fire."
"People know that the fire and rescue service puts out fires and attends road traffic collisions, but there's so much more work that we do to help create the safest community. More and more time is spent working with the community on fire safety initiatives to protect our most vulnerable residents and their homes from fire; carrying out home fire safety checks where we give occupiers advice on preventing fires in the home, helping them to develop a fire escape plan and fitting free smoke detectors. Our open days are a great family day out packed full of attractions."
