Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AF&RS) is launching a student safety campaign to coincide with Freshers Week, highlighting the dangers of Bath’s rivers and the risks of fire in student accommodation.
As both of Bath’s universities in the city are situated near water the campaign is highlighting the dangers of living near rivers and open water.
Since September 2015, AF&RS have been called to 25 water rescues in the Avon area.
The campaign highlights that even the strongest swimmer can be affected by the effects of alcohol if they end up in river water and the best way to enjoy a night out is to ‘buddy up’ and stay together to get home safely.
To launch their student water safety campaign, Avon Fire & Rescue Service AF&RS is running a competition on Facebook and Twitter to highlight the dangers posed by drinking alcohol living near water.
For a chance to win two tickets to any InMotion night at Motion in Avon Street, Bristol AF&RS is asking university students to tag their best buddy on Facebook and Twitter.
To enter the #buddyup #AlcoholAndRiverWaterDontMix competition students should ‘Like’ and comment on the Avon Fire & Rescue Service Facebook post or ‘Follow’ and retweet the AF&RS water safety post on Twitter
Students can also enter the #FavouriteThings competition to win £50 of Dominos pizza vouchers by identifying the possession they would be most devastated to lose in a fire.
Crews from AF&RS have been called 63 times to student halls of residence in the Avon area to tackle fires, false alarms and other incidents since September 2015.
Group Manager for Risk Reduction at AF&RS, Matt Peskett, said: “We have had a number of water rescues in Bath and tragically some of these incidents were fatal.
“It is important that if students are on a night out drinking alcohol, they stay with their friends and try to avoid a journey home that involves passing open water.
“Also when students get back to their halls or home they should avoid cooking if they have been drinking, it’s much better to order a takeaway than risk a fire and losing all their treasured possessions.”
AF&RS will be attending the Freshers events at Bath Spa University on Wednesday 28th September.
