Firefighters in Stone are getting on their bikes to spread the fire safety message in the town.
The move is an initiative by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and will see firefighters taking to bikes to get to difficult-to-reach areas and to engage with the community.
Six retained firefighters from Stone fire station have received the safety training for the initiative. The two bikes will be used by ‘Community Outreach Firefighters’ (COFFS) and have fire and rescue service branding.
The aim is to increase visits to areas which are harder to reach for normal vehicles – such as parklands, woodland pathways, canal towpaths and grass fire hotspots. The firefighters will aim to engage with the local community, for instance by speaking to boat owners and walkers about fire prevention and safety.
Prevention manager Neil Pedersen said: “Firefighters will be out and about in the Stone area in the coming months and we encourage anyone who sees them to stop and have a chat.
“The bikes are an innovative and cost-effective way in which we can spread our fire prevention and other safety messages to areas of the community that are normally difficult for our fire appliances or other vehicles to reach. It is also, of course, an added way for firefighters to keep fit and encourages other members of the community to do the same.”
The bikes will officially be unveiled at the launch of Staffordshire Police’s Canal Watch at Aston Marina on April 5th between 10am and 2pm, where firefighters will also be speaking to boat owners about fire safety and offering free home and boat fire risk checks.
