It has been a busy week for partners across Warwickshire, who have been working together to help keep communities safe during a period of exceptionally hot weather
which has seen some of the highest June temperatures on record.
The warmer weather brings increased risks, with more people spending time outdoors, heading to lakes and rivers to cool down, and gathering in open spaces or country parks for barbecues. With end-of-term celebrations underway, more young people are also out and about enjoying the sunshine and spending time with friends.
In response to this Warwickshire Resilience Forum have been working together to deliver a coordinated, multi-agency approach, bringing together a wide range of partner organisations to share situational awareness, align activity and support the community through engaging directly with residents and sharing vital safety advice.
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Warwickshire Police and Warwickshire Search and Rescue have been proactively working together to ensure high visibility in local communities, delivering targeted water safety activity aimed at reaching both young people and families. In Leamington, crews from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service engaged with young people across Leamington and Warwick, handing out around 150 safety leaflets. In Stratford-upon-Avon, teams spoke directly with members of the public along the waterside about drowning prevention. In Rugby, crews visited Draycote Water to highlight the risks associated with open water, while in Atherstone teams carried out patrols, engaging with anglers and young people in the area.
Across all activity, partners have been reinforcing simple but life-saving advice in an emergency: call 999 immediately, encourage the person to float on their back, and throw something that floats to help them reach safety. Members of the public are also being encouraged to use what3words to provide an exact location to emergency services.
Alongside face-to-face engagement, partners have been using digital channels, including Snapchat, to reach communities and young people with vital safety messages. A water safety video has also been created demonstrating what to do if you get into difficulty in the water. The video can be viewed here: https://youtube.com/shorts/-R8Td1U6--8?si=4IEr4ZUrKwQtNHcA
Education has also been a key focus, with around 750 pupils in Coleshill taking part in assemblies and demonstrations, where they learned practical skills such as how to use a throwline and how to help emergency services locate them using what3words. In Nuneaton, a further 480 primary school pupils were reached through water safety assemblies, helping to build awareness from an early age. Crews have also been working with local groups, including youth football teams in Polesworth, to reinforce key safety messages both on and off the pitch.
Alongside water safety, partners have also been sharing advice on preventing wildfires during dry conditions, staying well in warmer weather and looking out for vulnerable people, ensuring a joined-up approach to community safety.
Chair of Warwickshire Resilience Forum, Ben Brook said:
“Across Warwickshire, partners have been working closely together to keep communities safe, support people to stay healthy and help ensure our roads and essential services continue to run smoothly during the warmer weather.
“This includes sharing practical advice on staying safe outdoors, looking after your health in the heat and taking simple steps such as staying hydrated and being prepared for long journeys. As we head into the weekend, partners will continue to work together, reinforcing consistent safety messages to help reduce preventable incidents and ensure residents can enjoy the county safely.”
This work has been supported by a range of partners including, District and Borough Councils, Severn Trent, National Highways, the Environment Agency, Met Office, West Midlands Ambulance Service, NHS partners, the Integrated Care Board and some of our voluntary sector partners including Warwickshire Search and Rescue and the British Red Cross.
For more information on staying safe in hot weather visit:
- Preparing for a heatwave: advice from Warwickshire Resilience Forum
- Community Fire Safety: advice from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service
- NHS – Heatwave: how to cope: advice for families, young children, and older people
- Actions to take to prepare for a power cut: you can report a power cut by calling 105