New throw line boards installed to bolster the water safety measures at town park
The new water rescue equipment – consisting of a 20m throw line - will provide a vital lifeline if someone ends up in the water.
The throwline is securely stored, and easily accessed by calling the number on the board direct to Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service’s control room, which operates 24 hours a day and will provide the code to release the equipment.
This is part of a project to increase public safety around the water and follows work in partnership with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service providing training to rangers this week.
Six of the boards have been funded by Telford and Wrekin Council with Severn Trent providing a further three – totalling just over £6.5k.
Carolyn Healy, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Green Spaces, Natural and Historic Environment said: “We delighted to provide these added safety measures.
“The Telford Town Park has retained its crown as one of the UK’s best-loved parks and attracts visitors from across the country.
“To maintain this status and bring even more of our parks up to the highest standards, we have recently committed to investing £1 million into the borough’s parks and a further £2 million into other green spaces as part of the council’s pledge to invest in what matters to local people.
“We’ve create fantastic play areas and brilliant attractions and these throw lines add a reassuring level of safety around the open water areas.”
James Sutherland, Prevention Officer for Road and Water Safety with Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said; “Nationally, around half of people who drown had no intention of being in water – they may have been walking, running, or jump in the water after their dog.
“These boards will act as an additional level of safety should something occur and the training we provide means the rangers will be able to provide not only the initial assistance to anyone that gets in difficulty in the water but also they will be able to provide water safety advice prior to anyone even getting into the water.
“The boards hold key life-saving advice on them as well as accurate location details in the event that the emergency services need to be contacted.
“A ‘locked’ box, which is accessed by a code given to the caller by our fire control room operators, contains a throw line which gives people a means of assisting someone in trouble without risking entering the water themselves.
“The boards are bespoke to their location and contain a unique location code so that emergency services can locate the incident as quickly as possible.
This video shows exactly how these water safety boards should be used and how best to throw a throwline.
The new boards have been installed at Spout, Randlay, Blue, Tarts, Hinkshay, Southall and Grange pools.
