Fire safety campaign to help combat careless parking

CARELESS parking which could prevent firefighters getting to an emergency call out has come under the spotlight in a new awareness campaign launched by Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service.

In the last two years, firefighters have been unable to get as close as they could to an incident on 39 separate occasions across the county. This has led to firefighters asking residents to stop and think - would a fire engine be able to drive down your road and get to your house quickly in an emergency?

In a bid to make people think and to encourage residents to park their vehicles in the right way, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service have launched a ‘Park it Right’ campaign which aims to highlight the potential dangers drivers cause when they double park or obstruct tight corners.

The campaign warns that they not only risk other people’s lives in an emergency, but appliances have the right to remove vehicles if it means getting to the fire more quickly. The vehicle response time could also mean the difference between crews attending a fatality or saving a life.

Warwickshire County Councillor John Horner, portfolio holder for community safety said: “This is a very important message which aims to raise awareness of the ongoing parking issue across the county. People forget that whilst fire engines are more compact than they used to be, they are still quite wide, which means that they will struggle to drive down certain roads if people have not parked appropriately.”

“Little actions like parking close to the curb and straightening your wheels can make a big difference