A Hampshire fire engine was blocked into its own station and delayed from getting to an incident due to a motorists reckless parking.
Cosham firefighters were called to a road traffic collision last night (28 Nov) when one of the appliances was hampered by a vehicle parked in front of the stations bay doors.
The station posted a video on Twitter showing the vehicle and how it had prohibited the crew responding to the incident, putting lives at risk.
Fortunately, other Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service vehicles that were mobilised were able to respond as normal and resolve the incident despite the delay to the Cosham appliance.
More than three years on since the launch of the HFRS ‘I Need My Space’ campaign, this is yet another occurrence of drivers delaying fire engines getting to incidents.
Cosham Station Manager Steve Jenkins said:
“A delayed response to an incident can make a huge difference in the safety of those that need our help.
“This incident highlights the disregard some drivers have for the emergency services. We want to help members of the public understand that they can help us by ensuring they park their vehicle to allow sufficient space for an emergency vehicle to pass.
“We at Cosham Fire Station strongly support the I Need My Space campaign.”
However, it is not just parking that is the problem and firefighters say some drivers are not sure what to do when they hear the sirens blaring.
Some slam their brakes on immediately and risk causing an accident while others try to tailgate behind the vehicle which can cause a crash – particularly if more than one engine has been deployed.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Steve Apter said:
“The issue of motorists blocking the paths of emergency services vehicles is worse than ever before.
“These issues are causing delays and when tackling a fire or cutting somebody out of a car this can be the difference between life and death.”
The service posts photos and videos of examples of poor parking and erratic driving on Twitter under the #INeedMySpace hashtag.
You can find out more about the award-winning I Need My Space campaign here.