MEDIA INVITE
Moortown Fire Station (Stonegate road, Moortown, LS17 6EJ) will host a series of Safety Rangers courses between 27 June and 1 July. Reporters/photographers are invited to attend.
Please contact Nazir Hussain, Community Risk Reduction Officer, on 0113 205 8146 / 07776 130821 to arrange a date and time.
More than 2,000 children from schools around Leeds will qualify as Safety Rangers this month thanks to a scheme co-ordinated by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Children aged between nine and 11 will attend a half-day interactive course at fire stations in Leeds (Stanningley, Gipton, Moortown and Hunslet) during which they will take part in realistic scenarios aimed at promoting safety. The activities will be based on fire safety, road safety, anti-social behaviour, railway safety, weapon awareness, safety on buses, and emergency planning. The activities allow the children to experience unsafe situations first-hand in a controlled environment and they are taught how to respond to the dangers.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service will work alongside other agencies to deliver the scheme, including West Yorkshire Police, the NHS, Leeds City Council, British Transport Police, East North East Leeds Homes and Metro.
Event Co-ordinator Nazir Hussain said: “The Safety Rangers scheme provides professional expertise and first class community safety education. It helps the children develop their personal skills of judgement, decision-making and assessment of risk-taking, as well as giving them the self esteem and confidence to apply these skills.
“Safety Rangers is successful because we are able to put across important messages while the children have fun. It is also an example of the excellent relationship we have with other emergency services and community organisations.”
The Safety Rangers Scheme has been running in Leeds since 1994 and has proved to be very popular with schools.
Two station areas have already successfully been completed (Stanningley and Hunslet), with Gipton and Moortown to commence later this month.
Evaluations have been completed by teachers and have made some of the following comments:-
“An absolutely fabulous day, all activities were so different and creatively constructed. The presenters were excellent giving informative and concise information.”
“All scenarios were fantastic, and the practical nature of these activities made it a lot more visual and better to retain for the Year 5 pupils.”
“We will reinforce most of the scenarios which were delivered. Excellent event.”
ENDS
Further information: Media and PR on 01274 655807
