Posted: Thursday 21 June 2018, 08:17
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service is today launching, ‘Derelict’ and ‘Shock’, two videos aimed at warning school children of the dangers of derelict buildings and open water ahead of the schools summer break.
DERELICT
In September 2017 Adam Johnson died after falling through the floor of a disused building in Derby. This fatal incident came just six months after a 19 year old man fell through the roof of a building in Ambergate, Derbyshire. The film aims to underline the dangers of entering derelict and disused buildings, raising awareness to young children who may see the buildings as a place to explore, and not a place of danger.
SHOCK
Derbyshire is home to many open water courses, such as lakes, reservoirs, rivers and disused quarries.
Tombstoning is a craze that has swept the UK, with many young people heading to some of Derbyshire’s disused quarries to take part in the latest adrenaline fuelled activity; filming the activity and posting it to social media.
Shock has been produced to underline the dangers of ‘Cold Water Shock’, something that occurs in the body when entering cold water.
Station Manager John Cooke from Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service said: “There are many dangers associated with entering derelict buildings and also with swimming or jumping into open water; these can become more of a risk as school children break up for the summer holidays and start to explore with their mates, looking for ‘exciting’ things to do that they can share on the latest social media channel.
“By producing Derelict and Shock and targeting schools across the county, we hope to prevent any tragedies, not only during the summer holidays, but longer team. We hope the films will make children and young people aware of the serious dangers they face entering derelict buildings, or by jumping into open water.”
Firefighters from Nottingham Road White Watch and local Community Safety Officer Sarah Wigley will be visiting schools in the Chaddesden area to show the films ahead of the summer break and talk to pupils about the dangers.
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service is also sending a letter and links to the videos to all Derbyshire Schools requesting they show their pupils the videos prior to the summer break beginning.
Inspector Lauren Woods from Derbyshire Police said: “Insecure disused buildings pose a serious risk to anyone who enters them. Sites such as this are often in serious states of disrepair and have a number of potential dangers within them. Those entering these types of site are leaving themselves vulnerable to serious injury and even death. They are not playgrounds and should not be treated as such.
“Incidents of this nature are civil matters that are under the jurisdiction of the council they are within and it is the responsibility of the building’s owners to ensure that they are secure.
“If you are concerned about the security of a building then you should make the relevant local authority aware. If, however, there is an ongoing situation that is an emergency then you should contact the police on 999.”