Residents are being urged to take extra care with fireworks and bonfires this coming week and are advised, if possible, to go to an organised event due to the reduced fire service cover during two strikes, as reported by IslandEcho last week.
For the period of strike action, to take place between 18:30 and 23:00 on Friday (1st November) as well as between 06:00 and 08:00 on Monday 4th November, fire cover will be maintained on the Island by non-FBU members who will attend life-critical incidents such as house fires or road traffic incidents. Fire control will not be affected by the strike and will be operating as normal – people should continue to dial 999 in an emergency.
Householders and businesses are advised not to take unnecessary risks during periods of strike action and make preparations to reduce their chances of needing assistance from the fire and rescue service. This includes taking extra care when cooking or smoking, checking that smoke alarms are working and knowing what to do in an event of a fire and sharing this knowledge with others. On Friday night, people are advised to be mindful of the reduced fire cover when considering holding their own bonfire or firework events.
Councillor Phil Jordan, Cabinet member for public protection, said:
“I would like to reassure residents that the council has detailed contingency plans in place to ensure that life-critical incidents are responded to by fully trained fire and rescue service officers, but it is very important that people understand that fireworks can increase the risk of fire – and the fire service’s ability to respond will be limited during the strike period.
“It is disappointing that the government and the FBU have still failed to negotiate a satisfactory agreement which is resulting in further strike action. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do locally to prevent this strike going ahead as it is a disagreement at national level.”
Bonfire and firework safety information and advice can be found at https://www.iwight.com/Residents/Fire-and-Rescue-Service/Business-Fire-Safety/Fireworks-and-Bonfires2.
