All aboard for boat safety checks
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Boat Safety Scheme were busy during Boat Fire Safety Week (25th-31st May) urging the boating community to be more fire safe on board.
Members of Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service took a mobile unit to Calcutt Marina in Southam over the course of the weekend in which around 300 boats, a much higher proportion than usual, were present.
Firefighters offered a free boat safety check and fitted smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms free of charge.
Boatowner Geoff Ayre from Wiltshire, who had moored his own boat Helleborus at the marina, said: “As we went through the safety check, I was glad to see that our boat was pretty safe but the firefighters still gave us a few useful tips on making it even safer.”
Rugby fire station crew manager, Andy Stevens, said: “We were delighted to meet people and make sure that their boat had a working smoke alarm or fit one of they didn’t. Smoke alarms make a difference to the outcome of fires on boats. We would like to see suitable smoke alarms suitable installed on all boats with overnight accommodation.”
Although boat fires on our coastal and inland waters are less common than fires on land, when they do occur, they can have devastating consequences.
The key messages are:
Fit a suitable smoke alarm
Make a fire action plan
Take extreme care when refuelling with petrol or changing gas cylinders
Avoid using portable gas equipment onboard, where possible, and store all gas canisters in special gas lockers or open places where any leaks will flow overboard
Check such items as battery terminals and fuse box connections routinely for damaged strands or signs of overheating
Take care when doing repairs, and keep interiors well ventilated if you’re using adhesives, paints and spirit based products
Always keep your eye on a solid fuel stove when it’s lit, try to avoid leaving the boat with the stove running
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service offer free home safety checks as well as boat safety checks. To book one, or for further information, call 01926 410800.
For further information about boating fire safety, please contact the Boat Safety Scheme on 01923 201278 or visit http://www.boatsafetyscheme.com/fire