Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) will be putting on a spectacular range of displays for the public at the Royal County of Berkshire Show at Newbury Showground (Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 September).
During the show, RBFRS will be demonstrating how crews respond to various incidents and will provide safety advice on a range of topics to prevent incidents occurring in the first place.
RBFRS’ Animal Rescue Unit will be on display, which responds to numerous incidents every year in which livestock, pets or wild animals are trapped or injured.
In a continued effort to improve water safety in Berkshire, RBFRS’ Water Rescue Unit will be on display at the show. The ‘drown tank’, which is an innovative visual aid, will bring the dangers of waterways to life.
If all that wasn’t enough, there will be a simulated Road Traffic Collision (RTC) demonstration from RBFRS’ competition rescue team, who won the World Rescue Challenge for three years in a row (2011, 2012 and 2013).
Members of the public will also be able to get a dramatic sense of the challenging environment firefighters often face when doing their job, as there will be a breathing apparatus drill. During this activity a breathing apparatus chamber, commonly known as a ‘smoke tent’. Visitors will have a chance to go into the chamber attached to a rope and navigate around it with some of RBFRS’ firefighters.
A range of high tech equipment will also be on display, including a snake eye camera, which is used to gain valuable images inside restricted spaces like collapsed buildings and a listening device, used to detect even faint noises, such as locating a trapped casualty. There will also be mock-up of a bedroom, containing a number of potential common hazards for visitors to try and spot.
Throughout the weekend RBFRS staff will be on hand to provide a wealth of safety information and advice, including how to prevent house fires. Eligible people (for example, over 65s) will also be able to sign up for a free Home Fire Safety Check.
Iain Harrison, Group Manager for Prevention, said: “We’ve got big plans for this year’s County Show, as our highly trained staff will be putting on a range of demonstrations and displays to cater for people of all ages.
“Come along and find out about our work to keep Berkshire safe and also to get some useful tips to help look after yourself and your property. You can find our stand at D231 at the showground.”