Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service has developed a Community Safety Outreach Vehicle affectionately known as the 'CoRV'.
This is being used to take community safety education into all areas of Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin.
Seen here at its launch in April the CoRV will provide not just fire safety information, but all aspects of safety in the home and in the community.
At the launch of the Outreach vehicle were Viv Taylor, of the Safer Communities Partnership; Chief Fire Officer Paul Raymond (formerly Deputy Chief fire Officer); Shropshire Partnership's Mac Sandal; Steve Chadwick, of the county council's road safety department; David Carless, chairman of the Shropshire group of Advanced Motorists and Chief Superintendent Guy Rutter.
Our Outreach Advocate
Pictured in front of the Community Outreach Vehicle is former Advocate Rob Cartwright with a Shropshire mothers and toddlers group. Photograph courtesy of the County Times.
The Shropshire Partnership has contributed towards the salary of an Outreach Advocate who will manage the vehicle and you can expect to see our new advocate Katie and the CoRV in your locality very frequently [2].
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service is a very enthusiastic member of both the 'Shropshire Partnership' and Telford & Wrekin's 'Safer and Stronger Communities Partnership' and we will be supporting the agencies that form theses groups by providing combined displays using the CoRV.
Building the CoRV
The vehicle was supplied by Torton Bodies of Telford and cost £51,000. This was paid for from grants provided by the Department of Local Government and the Communities and first saw action in Easter of 2007.
The audio visual equipment was supplied and installed by Salop Music Centre and the signage by another local firm, Sign and Poster of Shrewsbury.
The unit is designed to be multi functional and can have the entire theme of its display changed in less than 15 minutes!
The CoRV being built at the Torton Bodies workshops in Oakengates
Access for all
We are very keen that everyone can access the unit and benefit from the safety messages it carries.
It has disabled access and a full hearing loop for the hard of hearing. The information leaflets carried are in most languages including Urdu, Polish, Russian and of course English.
It boasts its own generator, a state of the art audio and visual display setup and comprehensive public information display equipment.
The ramp provides disabled access to the interior of the vehicle
The CoRV in action
The CoRV first saw action during Easter 2007 and is now engaged in a continuous tour of the County ensuring everyone has access to fire and community safety advice.
The CoRV will be used in areas of high footfall such as Supermarket car parks, town and village canters, Community centres etc, and also in remote rural areas. So even if you live in a tiny hamlet, you can expect to see the CoRV [2].
The CoRV in action at a retail park in Shrewsbury
The AVI Public Safety Information Units
Alison Teece, Vulnerable Persons Officer, with the new AVI Public Safety Information Unit
The vehicle will also transport the Public Safety Information Units which have been sponsored by Telford & Wrekin's Stronger and Safer Communities Partnership.
These interactive touch screen computers carry information about the partnership and various safety issues which the group is involved with, such as; drug and alcohol advice, road safety, crime prevention, fire safety, arson prevention and so on. You will see these around Telford and please do use them.
They are free to use and contain vast amounts of safety information as well as safety education games for children and young people.
You can even book a free home safety visit by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service on them.
Information for Partners
The CoRV is available to our partners for promotion of your own community education needs and can be booked by contacting:
SFRS Community Safety Prevention Team
Email: firesafetyadmin [at] shropshirefire [dot] gov [dot] uk
Phone: 01743 260 260 (24 hr)
Or write to:
The Community Fire Safety Department
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service
St Michaels Street
Shrewsbury
Shropshire
SY1 2HJ
