Canvey firefighters give caravan safety advice to 4,000 residents
Firefighters at Canvey Island Fire Station have given safety advice to approximately 4,000 residents living in caravans and static homes in Canvey.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has launched a summer safety campaign and part of its campaign is to contact every caravan site in Essex this summer to offer fire safety advice to holidaymakers and residents.
The campaign was designed following a tragic fatal fire at a caravan site in Clacton on May 31, 2021 where a woman lost her life.
Firefighters from Canvey Island Fire Station have spent the last 6 weeks visiting residents at three caravan parks - Kings Park Village, Thorney Bay and Sandy Bay - to give safety advice to residents, a large number of which are elderly and vulnerable residents.
Watch Manager Dan Trendell from Canvey Island Fire Station said: “We’ve got three large caravan parks in Canvey Island and we’ve been working closely with each park’s management over the last few weeks to give safety advice to around 4,000 residents, many of them are elderly and vulnerable. Our biggest advice is to have working smoke alarms in your caravan, these need to be tested regularly to ensure they alert you to a fire.
“Caravan fires spread extremely quickly so it’s really important people take steps to reduce the risk of a fire and if there is a fire in your caravan, it’s important that you get out of the caravan immediately and call the fire service.
“We want everyone living and staying in a caravan this summer to stay safe by following our advice.”
Caravan safety advice:
- All caravans must be fitted with a working smoke alarm. Test the smoke alarms every week and never remove the batteries
- If you smoke, use metal ashtrays - and never smoke in bed or if you are likely to fall asleep
- Don't block air vents - if any leaking gas builds up you may fall unconscious and be unable to escape. Always keep the caravan ventilated. Ensure that air vents are clear - if air vents get blocked, it could be fatal
- Turn off all appliances before you leave the caravan or go to bed
- Never use a cooker or heater whilst your caravan is moving
- When cooking don't leave any pans unattended
- Find out the firefighting arrangements on the camp site
- Don't dry clothes over the stove
- Keep children away from matches or lighters
- Children should never be left alone in a caravan
- Remove any litter and rubbish near the caravan to reduce the risk of fire spreading
- Gas cylinders should be kept outside the caravan. Gas cylinders should be turned off unless they are designed to run continuously and you should only change the bottle when they are completely empty
- If you suspect that there is a gas leak, turn off all appliances and the main cylinder valve, open all doors and windows and do not smoke or turn on any electrical switches or appliances until you have been given the all clear
- Never use fuel-burning devices inside the caravan (e.g. disposable barbeques, camping stoves, camping heaters, lanterns, and charcoal grills)
For more summer safety advice visit: essex-fire.gov.uk/summer
Could you be an on-call firefighter in Canvey Island?
Canvey Island Fire Station is recruiting on-call firefighters. If you live or work within 5 minutes of Canvey Island Fire Station, you could be paid to protect your community as an on-call firefighter.
Find out more about the role and how to apply at join.essex-fire.gov.uk/on-call
Page last updated 5 August, 2021