Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has worked closely with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire, Nottinghamshire Police, Nottingham City Council and Community Outreach Providers under the Safer Streets Partnership to run the day for residents of Lytham Gardens.
Firefighters carried out Safe and Well Visits and free smoke alarm fitting on nine of the streets in the surrounding area, as well as attending youth engagement sessions hosted by Helping Kids Achieve.
This comes after the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire secured £3 million of Home Office funding for Safer Streets projects that help reduce neighbourhood crime and antisocial behaviour, as well as violence against women and girls.
The improvement to the area has been vast over the last year with Safer Streets funding allowing CCTV, fencing, youth engagement work and target hardening which has allowed the local community to reclaim their homes from a small minority of local youths who were using the area to commit crime and start fires.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said: “It was brilliant to see just how much people enjoyed being a part of this community engagement day. Young people being able to talk directly with firefighters and see the incredible work they do up close is a memory I’m sure will stay with them for years to come.
“Making Nottingham a safer place is not just about being reactive to crime, but also engaging with people where they live, and it’s amazing to see such a positive response to the fire and rescue service’s visit to Top Valley.”
Residents were treated to two fire engines to look around, climb inside, and see how the vehicles work as well as a community education vehicle which allowed children to get up close and personal with the fire service.
The group were also joined by Ginny, one of the East Midlands fire investigation dogs, and her handler Dave. The pair demonstrated their skills with Ginny sniffing out a trace of flammable liquid that Dave had placed.
Around 60 people attended the Get Involved event throughout the day and had the opportunity to look around the fire engine, meet Ginny and roll out and squirt the hose.
Robyn Ellis, District Prevention Officer for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Engaging with people in the community about how to keep themselves safe from fire is a key part of our work and we were delighted to speak with the residents and show them some of what we do alongside some of our partners."
Watch Manager Nick Owen, of Arnold Fire Station, added: "Two years ago myself and my crew were subjected to attacks on this same street. It is testament to the strong community bond that we have built through the Safer Streets Partnership that we can carry out such an enjoyable event here today.
"We all really enjoyed the day and the opportunity to speak to people about fire safety. If you or someone you know can't assess the fire risk in your home, please book a free Safe and Well visit on our website."
Posted on Tuesday 12th September 2023