Your Council working in partnership to make our city safer

Going off with a bang

Work is now underway to make this year's Bonfire Night as safe as it is spectacular

Paula Cox and Steve Harrison

It's called the Fireworks and Bonfires initiative (FAB), and partner agencies across Hull are helping to ensure safety comes first in the run up to 5 November.
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, Humberside Police, and Hull City Council's trading standards and waste management services all form part of FAB.
The partnership work includes dismantling bonfire stacks before they are set alight to snuff out the potential danger to personal safety and property, and checking that shops and market traders stay within the law and do not sell fireworks to anyone under the age of 18.
"We are not here to stop people having a good time – we want people to enjoy themselves and stay safe," says fire officer Steve Harrison of Bransholme Fire Station.
"Many people are surprised to learn that it is illegal to build a bonfire in a public area, such as a recreation ground or open land near people's homes, and we use CCTV cameras to locate illegal stacks anywhere in Hull and go out with waste management officers to remove them and clear the site before they are ignited.
"If lit these bonfires can be dangerous and unpredictable, some may have gas canisters or accelerants within them which are hazardous when set alight, and if people burn old mattresses, tyres, cardboard, or other waste items on bonfires it can cause a problem with air pollution for people living nearby.
"It's not worth taking any risks this bonfire night, as injuries caused by the misuse of fireworks and bonfires can stay with them for the rest of their lives."

(Above) flames from a bonfire endanger a property (left) crowds at last year's fireworks event and (bottom) a firework explodes above Hull

Meanwhile, work is carried out throughout the year in all primary and secondary schools in Hull to educate children and young people about the dangers of fireworks and fires.
Pupils are taught how to prevent fires in the home, how to detect them by using smoke alarms, and to work out escape routes from their homes for themselves and their families in case of emergency.
And in the run up to 5 November they are taught about the dangers of misusing fireworks and making hoax calls to the emergency services, and how quickly and dangerously fires and smoke can spread on illegal bonfire stacks.
"The education we carry out in schools is thorough and interactive and we really make it hands-on for pupils by allowing them to practice using smoke alarms," says Paula Cox, a schools education officer with Humberside Fire and Rescue Service.
"All in all we make it as fun and as enjoyable as we can because we find by doing so it helps us get the safety message across."

Hull lights

Hull City Council has teamed up with Associated British Ports and Festival Fireworks to provide a safe, free, and spectacular evening's entertainment on bonfire night itself.
The entertainment will start at 6.45pm when 7,400 fireworks – weighing more than one-and-a-half tonnes – will be ignited from a barge on the Humber to light up the night sky over Hull.
The display will feature 26 different colours using the latest computer-based pyro-digital firing system to create a stunning range of airborne effects.
From a viewing area near Hull Marina, food concessions and a small fairground will be laid on for the visiting crowds.
"Last year's fireworks on the Humber barge were a massive success and we are hoping for an even better event this time around," says Cllr John Robinson, Hull City Council's portfolio holder for image and culture.
"I hope as many Hull people as possible come along for what will be a safe and memorable show for all the family."
The display will take place weather permitting but fog and high winds could cause cancellation. Road closures will be in operation around Hull Marina on the night itself.

info

For more information on the FAB initiative call Hull Citysafe on 300300