A ‘Stay Safe’ initiative has been launched in South Yorkshire to keep members of the general public safe at home. Stay Safe, developed for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, South Yorkshire Police and NHS Yorkshire and Humber, is an interactive platform designed to educate both adults and young people about the safety and security hazards around the home and how to avoid them.
When you visit the Stay Safe website you are invited to select a character which takes you on a journey around a virtual neighbourhood. In the range of buildings you can investigate to find out more about potential safety and security hazards through a series of 360-degree virtual tours, which include video and other interactive information.
After exploring the homes in the neighbourhood, you are quizzed on your knowledge and can build up a score by identifying and preventing the hazards in a room. The faster you can carry out action such actions such as turning off light switches and blowing out candles, the higher your score.
The new Stay Safe initiative is linked to the Lifewise Centre, an interactive learning centre for South Yorkshire communities. The centre, jointly run by community safety departments from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and South Yorkshire Police, is a life-size film set of a small town, which is used to deliver safety messages to the public.
Station Manager Jon Torn, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said: “As we continue to work to drive down fire deaths and injuries, this online resource offers a new way for us to take our message to the community. Fully interactive, it allows residents to learn for themselves how to reduce their risk of fire around the home and compliments our range of existing educational tools.”
And Supt Eddie Murphy from South Yorkshire Police said: ”This interactive site allows members of the public to learn about fire safety and crime prevention from the comfort of their own home. Linked to the Lifewise Centre. Over time the site will be developed further to include other important messages relating to road safety and I hope that the Stay Safe initiative will prove popular with the local community.” The Stay Safe programme was launched at the Lifewise Centre in Hellaby, Rotherham.
