Police issue fireworks warning ahead of derby clash

Police Scotland will be carrying out an operation at tomorrow’s League Cup Quarter Final between Hibs and Hearts, searching for anyone in possession of fireworks or flares.

Officers will be carrying out searches outside Easter Road stadium, and a specialist search dog, capable of detecting flares, will also be used to identify anyone trying to smuggle illegal items into the stadium.

Police are warning that robust action will be taken against anyone trying to take flares or fireworks into the ground. The warning follows incidents at recent derbies where flares or fireworks were used.

Superintendent Kenny MacDonald, who is in charge of the policing operation on Wednesday, said: “The match kicks off at 7pm, and I would encourage supporters to get there early, as they will be travelling to the game during rush hour and there is limited parking near to the ground.

“There will be search cordons in place around the stadium, and searches will be undertaken as a condition of entry to the ground. A specialist search dog will be used to detect anyone in possession of fireworks or flares.

“We recognise that the majority of supporters are well behaved, however there are a small minority who in the past have put themselves and others in danger by throwing fireworks or flares.

“If this behaviour continues then it will only be a matter of time before someone suffers a serious injury, and we are working with clubs and stewards to do all we can to prevent such dangerous behaviour.

“Anyone who is caught with a flare or firework can expect to be arrested, either at the time, or as a result of a post-match investigation. As well as receiving a criminal conviction, they may very well find themselves being banned from attending future matches throughout the country.”

Let’s hope all the the fireworks are ON the pitch tomorrow!

Drama to educate pupils on fireworks danger

An informative play about the dangers of misusing fireworks will be performed to around 1,500 pupils in schools across Edinburgh during the run up to Guy Fawkes night. TOAST shows pupils how dangerous fireworks can be, as well as raising issues such as peer pressure, bullying and managing aggression.

The production involves two actors playing 11 different characters, with the scene shifting between a hospital, a home, a school and a housing estate. The principal character is drawn into an ill-fated escapade with stolen fireworks, with ultimately tragic consequences.

The play, originally commissioned by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) in Northern Ireland, has been adapted for Edinburgh and is being staged by the Strange Theatre Company. It lasts for 30 minutes and has been organised by staff working in the City of Edinburgh Council’s West Neighbourhood Office.

It will run until Friday (1 November) and will be performed to all S2 pupils in sixteen Edinburgh schools, including locally at Craigroyston – approximately 1,500 young people aged between 12 and 13 will see the drama.

The weeks leading up to Bonfire Night are a time of increased complaints to police and councillors about excessive fireworks noise, with elderly people, the very young and domestic pets often left particularly distressed by fireworks noise.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Environment Leader, said: “Guy Fawkes night is great fun and families enjoy the spectacle of fireworks as the nights get darker. However, fireworks can be extremely dangerous if handled improperly.

“The play ‘Toast’ is an excellent way of helping young people understand the risks and dangers of misusing fireworks. We will be carrying out test purchasing in shops where fireworks are on sale to make sure that retailers are adhering to the legislation.”

William MacDonald, Group Commander for The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Bonfire Night is the busiest time of year for the fire service and we are urging parents and carers to be mindful of the potential risks from fireworks and the need to heed fire safety advice to ensure this year’s Guy Fawkes celebrations stay safe.

“We work closely with partners agencies including the City of Edinburgh Council to raise awareness of the risks and dangers associated with bonfires and fireworks as well as delivering fire safety advice to schoolchildren across the area. Toast, which highlights the dangers associated with fireworks, is an excellent example of this type of initiative. “Every year, hundreds of people in the UK are injured by fires and misusing fireworks which are very similar to explosives. Most at risk are unsupervised children, particularly those who play with fire or who get too close to bonfires. We want everyone to enjoy this time of year but to stay safe and advise they stick to supervised bonfires and firework displays.”

Fire service issues Bonfire Night ‘community call to action’

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is urging members of the public to join Scotland’s fight against fire, issuing a “community call to action” in the run up to Bonfire Night:

Every year careless bonfires take firefighters away from other incidents – putting lives at risk. Choosing to attend only official bonfire events will help keep people, property and vital resources safe.

Bonfire Night is the busiest time of year for the fire service, and during the bonfire period firefighters typically see a 40% increase in emergency calls. Having to tackle bonfires means it could take crews longer to attend serious incidents – with potentially tragic consequences.

Careless bonfires also see public money go up in smoke – in previous years costs have been estimated in millions of pounds of damage.

Assistant Chief Officer (ACO) Lewis Ramsay, Director of Prevention and Protection for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We want everyone to enjoy the celebrations and I would urge the public to join Scotland’s fight against fire and attend official bonfire events this year.

“Not only is it the best way to stay safe, but careless bonfires take crews away from serious incidents in our communities – so choosing to attend organised events will protect people, property and ensure our firefighters can get to where they are most needed.

He added: “Every year we work with our partner agencies to raise awareness of the risk and dangers associated with bonfires and fireworks as well as the preventative measures which can be taken to improve community safety – as local people must continue to play their part in making our communities safer.

”We have no better ally in the fight against fire than our local communities who can make a difference and work together for a safer Scotland.”

ACO Ramsay continued: “Our pre-planning and response arrangements have been much easier to co-ordinate this year, given the commencement of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Our approach incorporates best practice from across Scotland and ensures services are delivered locally in a consistent and co-ordinated manner, with a clear focus on public and firefighter safety.”

Superintendent Alan Cunningham, Head of Prevention and Interventions at Police Scotland, said: “We want people to listen to safety advice and attend organised events so families can keep safe and enjoy the Bonfire celebrations.

“The best way of keeping safe is to attend official bonfire events which will also help reduce the number of unnecessary call outs for Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.”

Minister for Community Safety, Roseanna Cunningham said: “I wholeheartedly endorse the SFRS campaign and recognise the very valuable work of our firefighters at this busy time of year.

“We can all support them and make our communities safer by attending organised events. This guarantees we enjoy the spectacle in safety and have a fifth of November to remember – for all the right reasons.”

‘Join Scotland’s fight against fire’ gives more information about how to be safe on 5 November, with a range of additional information to raise public awareness of fire safety at home and in the workplace.

The campaign lets the public know how to refer family, friends and neighbours – who may be specifically at-risk – for a free Home Fire Safety Visit, or other services that focus on protecting older people from fire.

For a free Home Fire Safety Visit, all you have to do is call the Home fire Safety Hotline on 0800 0731 999. You can also get in touch by calling your local community fire station and more information is available here.

Anyone who decides to hold their own events should always follow our vital bonfire and firework safety advice – available by clicking here.

The Scottish Fire & Rescue Service

Oganised public display is best bet for Bonfire Night

Thinking of building a bonfire? The simple advice from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is: DON’T!

It is much safer to attend an organised public display.

Fire crews in Scotland are up to four times busier on 5 November than any other night of the year. Wasting time and resources attending unsafe or uncontrolled bonfires could mean a critical delay in local fire crews attending a real life threatening emergency.

Within neighbourhoods affected by deliberate fire setting and fire vandalism at this or any other time of year, the public safety message is that fire setting is an offence: don’t accept it, report it.

The public are requested to pass on any information about who may be responsible for fire setting and fire vandalism to Police Scotland using the 101 non-emergency number or Scotland Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.

The firework safety message to teachers, parents and young people is that fireworks are dangerous explosives that must be purchased and handled by adults. It is an offence for young people to purchase, be in possession of or set off fireworks.

Bonfire and Firework safety leaflet.

For more information on deliberate fire setting and fire vandalism: leaflet here.

Local police initative tackles stolen vehicle crime

Police in North Edinburgh are carrying out an initiative to prevent youths riding stolen motorcycles and cars in the area. The four-week operation involves a team of police and council officers working in the Muirhouse, Pilton and waterfront areas to prevent the theft of motorcycles and youths riding around local estates.

As well as an increase in foot patrols, officers have been utilising hand held cameras to capture potential evidence and to identify offenders. The police helicopter – a regular sight (and sound!) over North Edinburgh recently – is also being utilised to provide a bird’s eye view of the problem, enabling officers to get to the right locations quickly to ensure they can recover stolen vehicles.

The police have also enlisted the support of the City of Edinburgh Council’s local Environmental Wardens who have been checking likely disposal areas as part of their patrols and specialist Roads Policing resources have also been drafted in to assist.

Inspector Mark Rennie of Drylaw Police Station said: “There has been a significant amount of concern in the local community over this problem and we’ve been working hard over the summer to ensure we can provide additional resources into the area to prevent it.

“Since the beginning of August we have recovered 40 stolen vehicles and charged 20 youths with related offences but our aim is to prevent this type of risk taking behaviour over the longer term. As well as talking with young people at local schools about the risks, we will be speaking with local youth groups and agencies with a view to making every effort to divert those involved into positive activities in their community.

“We’ve had great support from our community groups and elected representatives who can see the efforts being made and how the use of the helicopter is often quickly preventing any escalation on the evenings when the problems occur.

“I’d like to thank residents who have already called us with information and would ask anyone to call us immediately if they see what they believe to be a stolen motorcycle being used or hidden by youths in the area.

“To keep local people up to date we are putting out regular updates of our progress on our local twitter account and I’d encourage residents to follow it for additional information: @EdinNorthPolice.”

The City of Edinburgh Council’s Community Safety Leader, Councillor Cammy Day, said: “The theft of motorbikes and cars by young people has become a real problem in the north of Edinburgh and one that I know is a matter of great concern to the local community. I am very glad to see additional Police resources being used to tackle this extremely serious issue and by working with local people I am confident that the initiative will be a great success. I would urge anyone with suspicions that a vehicle that might be stolen to contact the Police so that they can respond quickly and hopefully stop this worrying trend.”

Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101, or make an anonymous report through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

House fire figures at record low

The number of house fires in Scotland has fallen to the lowest levels recorded by the Scottish Government. Statistics released today show that house fires have reduced from 9,811 to 5,820, a drop of 41% since records began in 1990.

Provisional statistics released today also show that 46 people died in fires in 2012-13, a drop of 23 per cent compared to 2011-12.

For the first time, the publication Fire Statistics Scotland 2012-13, also includes information on the main sources of ignition for all accidental house fires.

Cooking appliances such as ovens accounted for the majority of non-fatal accidental house fires while smokers’ materials and matches were the main source of ignition for fatal fires.

Drink or drugs were suspected to be a factor in 16 per cent of accidental house fires, which is a slight decrease from the 17 per cent reported last year.

Community Safety Minister Roseanna Cunningham said: “Fires in Scotland are continuing to fall, with house fires dropping by 41 per cent since Scottish Government records began and the lowest in a generation.

“While we know that statistics based on small numbers can fluctuate over time the positive downward trend is undoubtedly testament to the hard work of the fire and rescue services in Scotland and their continued focus on prevention.

“While the significant reduction in the number of people hurt or killed in fires is to be welcomed, every death is a tragedy and there are 46 families across Scotland who are without a loved one as a result of fires last year.

“It is crucial that we continue with vital education work to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol and drugs, particularly while cooking, which the statistics show still contribute to far too many casualties.

“I also would encourage everyone to ensure they have working smoke alarms and check them regularly to ensure they are working properly.

Chief Officer Alasdair Hay of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “As the first Chief Officer of the national Scottish Fire and Rescue Service I inherited eight highly performing services with fantastically committed staff. The antecedent services made incredible strides in relation to prevention work, engaging with communities, local authorities and partner agencies to drive down the risk of fires and other emergencies, nearly halving the number of fire deaths occurring in Scotland in the last decade. That is a fantastic testament to the work of our staff and the direction of effort and resources from the fire and rescue service being delivered in local communities across the country.

“Through targeted prevention activities and working with others we have seen a shift from simply dealing with the consequences of tragedies such as those injured and killed in fires to working to prevent these incidents occurring in the first place. As a national Service we will continue with our prevention and education activities to achieve safer communities by raising awareness of the risks and supporting people to reduce their likelihood of being involved in a fire in the home or other emergency.”

Pat Watters, Chair of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Board, said: “To see that house fires have dropped to the lowest levels since records began is very positive news both for the people of Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The Service is dedicated to maintaining that downward trend and the Board is working closely with senior management and personnel to ensure they are supported to achieve continuing success. Every fire fatality is a tragedy and we know that we have the ability through targeted prevention activities to reduce these incidents occurring.

“That success is not something that can be achieved in isolation however and that is why we are working closely with partners to identify those particularly at risk of a fire. We know that drink and drugs often play a part in these incidents and that is a wider societal issue that cannot be tackled by the Service alone. One of the things we can assist everyone with is a free home fire safety visit. It is a simple way to make you and your loved ones safer from fire and I would urge everyone to make sure they take advantage of this excellent service and the fitting of free smoke detectors as required.”

Safety warning follows weekend fires

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service crews responded to a spate of rubbish fires across the Edinburgh area over the weekend …

Shortly after 8pm on Sunday night (18 August), crews from Newcraighall were mobilised to tackle a pile of burning rubbish at the rear of a community centre in the Danderhall area of Dalkeith. Just ten minutes later, colleagues from McDonald Road, Marionville and Tollcross fire stations were called to a rubbish fire in the doorway of a primary school on Loganlea Drive.

These were relatively minor incidents. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service personnel responded quickly as were able to extinguish the fires before damage to life or property occurred.

Burning rubbish can however, have more serious repercussions, especially if the fire occurs in a residential premises. For example, at around 11pm the same night, a fire broke out in the bins of a four-storey block of flats in Hailesland Grove, in the Sighthill area of Edinburgh. Three fire crews from Sighthill fire station were in attendance, and two firefighters in breathing apparatus had to enter the burning building. Having extinguished the fire, crews remained at the scene to vent smoke.

Bins contain a variety of flammable materials, and members of the public should take particular care to ensure that all cigarettes are fully extinguished before putting them in bins. People should also ensure that hot items (such as burnt food) are allowed to cool thoroughly before being thrown away.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service also addressed the problem of deliberate fire-setting. “Without commenting on the causes of any of these incidents, we wish to remind the public that deliberate fire-setting is not only irresponsible and dangerous to the lives and property of others, but also a serious criminal offence that can attract severe custodial penalties.”

Police presence to help ensure Festival’s fun for all

Just in case it’s escaped your attention, it’s Festival time. The annual Festivals are all about fun – and city police plan to help keep it that way

Police in Edinburgh are to launch a high-profile safety operation for the duration of the festival season. Officers will offer advice on crime prevention and personal safety to the tens of thousands of visitors who come to Edinburgh during August, and advertising trailers highlighting the 101 non-emergency police number will also feature prominently on city centre streets.

This will be the first time the operation will be undertaken by the national Police Scotland force, which came into operation on 1 April this year.

Ch Supt Mark Williams, the divisional commander for the City of Edinburgh, said: “The Festival is an exciting time for the city, with so much fantastic entertainment, sights to see and events to participate in. It’s also a busy period for police, as tens of thousands of tourists arrive and local residents take advantage of all that is going on across the city. With that in mind, it is essential that Police Scotland provides a visible presence throughout Edinburgh as part of our commitment to keeping people safe.”

Extra £1 million to let there be light

Aged lampposts in Edinburgh will be replaced with more energy-efficient equipment after an additional £1 million was sourced this year, the city council has announced.

The extra funding will be used to replace up to 760 old concrete and steel lampposts which failed an independent risk-based structural test.

The new aluminium columns are the first choice in street lighting designs as they do not need ongoing maintenance and have a design life of more than 50 years – almost double the design life of the old concrete and steel columns. They are also built using recycled material and can be recycled again at the end of their life.

Street lighting electricity costs are predicted to double by 2020 and the new posts will be fitted with energy-efficient white light lanterns, which will support the drive to reduce electricity costs whilst helping the Council to meet environmental targets.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Environment Convener, said: “Replacing old lampposts with modern aluminium columns makes both environmental and financial sense. They last up to twice as long as the traditional designs, and can even be recycled once finished with.

This would be an ideal opportunity to save energy and our carbon footprint, as well as to reduce the amount paid to light the city. It would also help to improve safety of residents and visitors.”

The new street lights have not met with universal approval, however. Drylaw Telford Community Council raised concerns over the positioning and power of new lights when they were installed late in 2011.

Community council treasurer Jackie Brown said then: “The new lights are lower and less powerful so don’t shed nearly as much light. Older members of the community are feeling vulnerable. Some of them are carrying torches so that they can see where to put the key in the door lock when they get home, while some others are avoiding going out altogether when it gets dark. It’s not only older people who are affected by the new lights, though – lots of people are not happy with the new lights.”

The community council has since been working with council officers to improve lighting in problem areas, and recently conducted a consultation in Wester Drylaw Place.

Community council chairman Alex Dale said: “We publicised the consultation with flyers and leaflets and highlighted the issue on our website, but the volume of response to the survey was slightly disappointing – in all there were 19 postcard responses, and two further replies via Survey Monkey.

“The community council subsequently agreed to ask the council to close the consultation period and to go with the preferred choice of the respondents. It’s just a pity that at the end of the day a bit of apathy crept in to the whole campaign – it has been a lengthy process – but in the end we achieved some sort of democratic decision so for the Community Council it was a bit of success.”

Light at the end of the tunnel, indeed!

Foreign student assaults: three charged

Local police confirmed this afternoon that three youths have been charged with assault following last week’s incident near Muirhouse Millennium Centre.