Tag: fireworks

Drama to educate pupils on fireworks danger

fireworksAn 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.”

 

Oganised public display is best bet for Bonfire Night

fire

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.

cyclepathfire

Broughton pupils get dramatic fireworks message

A powerful play about the dangers of misusing fireworks is being performed at Broughton High School today. TOAST is a 30 minute drama which shows pupils how dangerous fireworks can be, as well as airing issues such as peer pressure, bullying and managing aggression. 

It was originally commissioned by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) in Northern Ireland , was adapted for Edinburgh and is being staged by the Strange Theatre Company.

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 weeks leading up to Bonfire Night are traditionally a time of increased complaints to police about antisocial behaviour and noise relating to fireworks. Councillor Cammy Day, Community Safety leader, said: “Bonfire 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.”

Community Safety Manager for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, Steve Harkins, said: “As the service gears up for one of their busiest nights of the year 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 Bonfire Night celebrations stay safe. We work closely with partners including the City of Edinburgh Council to deliver fire safety advice to schoolchildren across the area and TOAST, which highlights the dangers associated with fireworks, is an excellent example of this type of initiative.”

The play will be performed at Holyrood RC High School and Broughton High School today  and moves on to Leith Academy  and Castlebrae High School tomorrow (Friday 2 November).

Fireworks warning to West Pilton parents

Police and Council officers in Edinburgh will be visiting parents in West Pilton in a bid to tackle the issue of fireworks being set off and fires being started in the area. Police officers from the Safer Neighbourhood Team and city council Community Safety Team staff are visiting the homes of youths identified or suspected of setting off fireworks and fire-starting after recent incidents.

Officers have being doing additional patrols in West Pilton over the last fortnight to deter youths from throwing fireworks and, as a result of their investigations, several youths have been identified as being responsible for dangerous behaviour in the area.

Joint Police and Council follow-up visits are being carried out over the next few weeks and the parents of youths involved will be warned over their children’s behaviour. Officers will also be urging parents to take additional steps to ensure their children are not involved in behaviour which causes a risk to the community.

Inspector Mark Rennie of Drylaw Police Station said “We have had two very concerning fires in West Pilton over the last month and several worrying incidents involving fireworks. This type of risk-taking behaviour will not be tolerated. We have additional officers on patrol and we are also highlighting the problem to local shop owners but speaking to parents about the recent incidents and potential consequences is a key part of our response”.

Councillor Cammy Day, Community Safety Leader for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The joint visits are designed to make the position clear to parents – they are responsible for the behaviour of their children. We will carry out an investigation and look at potential breaches of their tenancy agreements and possible legal action should they not heed the warnings given to them. A key commitment of the Capital Coalition is to strengthen and support our communities and keep them safe. We will not hesitate to take the strongest possible action against those responsible for fire raising and other acts of antisocial behaviour.”

Anyone with information regarding fire setting in the area is asked to contact, Lothian and Borders Police 0131 311 3131 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Keeping communities safe during firework season

The City of Edinburgh Council has joined forces with Lothian and Borders Police and Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service to ensure people in Edinburgh enjoy fireworks responsibly.

The lead up to bonfire night is a busy time for all emergency services, and while it is hoped everyone has fun, police will be working alongside colleagues in the fire and rescue service to highlight the nuisance and dangers associated with the illegal use of fireworks.

In the run up to 5 November, police and Trading Standards officers will be visiting retailers to remind them of the legislation surrounding the sale of fireworks. Fire safety talks will be given at schools across the city and joint patrols will be carried out to dismantle any potentially dangerous bonfires.

Councillor Cammy Day, Community Safety leader for the City of Edinburgh  Council, said: “The proactive approach taken by our community safety  teams in dismantling unauthorised bonfires in previous years has been  really successful and this work will continue leading up to 5 November. We would remind people to only attend organised displays, remember the  dangers involved in handling fireworks and enjoy their celebrations  responsibly. It’s one of the busiest nights of the year for the fire  service and it’s important they can carry out their vital role without  the threat of anti-social behaviour.”

Chief Inspector Andy McLaughlin of Lothian and Borders Police said: “Young people and the community should look forward to bonfire night, and be able to enjoy it fully and safely. Although it is an exciting time, the risks involved in playing with fireworks should always be remembered. This is traditionally a busy time of year for all emergency services, but many calls could be avoided if people were more aware of the safety of themselves and others. It should be remembered that fireworks are, in essence, explosives, and should only be bought from reputable retailers and used in a safe, controlled environment. We have seen a reduction in these types of incidents in recent years, and we hope that our work with school children and shop owners will help continue this trend.”

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service Community Safety Manager Steve Harkins added: “We want people to enjoy themselves safely this year. We recommend attending an organised bonfire night display to reduce the risk of accidental injury from fireworks. Be aware that bonfires must be supervised by an adult at all times. If they are not we will extinguish them. We will also put out any bonfires we believe may pose a risk to people or nearby buildings. Lastly, we ask that people respect firefighters as they respond to these calls. Any incidents of anti-social behaviour or violence to crews will be reported to the police. We are there to keep communities safe from fire so please let us do our job safe from interference or harm.”

Anyone with any concerns regarding dangerous bonfires, or the illegal sale of fireworks, should contact their Safer Neighbourhood Team on 0131 311 3131.

Wester Drylaw bonfire

Police seek witnesses after Pilton fireworks incidents

Police are appealing for witnesses after a series of incidents involving the reckless discharge of fireworks in the West Pilton area. From Tuesday night into the early hours of Wednesday morning (October 16 and 17), there were a number of incidents reported to police involving a group of youths who were setting off fireworks.

The most serious incident happened just after midnight in West Pilton Drive, where a firework was forced into a garage adjoining a house, causing a fire to break out. The fire service was called to the property to extinguish the blaze, which caused limited damage. No one was injured in the incident.

DC Rachael Robertson from Lothian and Borders Police said: “Thankfully the fire was dealt with swiftly, however there was the potential for far more serious consequences as a result of this reckless criminal act. At present officers are carrying out enquiries in the area, including the use of CCTV, in an attempt to identify the youths responsible. We would appeal to anyone who witnessed any fireworks being set off in the Pilton area overnight to come forward. Anyone else who has any information that can assist us in identifying the youths responsible should also get in touch.”

Anyone with any information should contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.