LUCK OF THE DRAW FOR YOUNGSTER CROWNED FIRE SAFETY CHAMP BUT THERE'S AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE IN THESE COVID-19 TIMES

MORE THAN 100 FAMILIES TAKE PART IN ACTIVITY DESIGNED TO PROTECT LOCAL COMMUNITIES

A LAD from North Warwickshire has proved just the ticket in being crowned a junior fire safety champion.

Jacon Toon's name was one of 15 winners drawn out of a special helmet in a contest designed to not only keep communities safer but help Atherstone firefighters "do their jobs better".

More than 100 families completed a fire safety check as part of the activity.

The Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service prize draw was aimed at keeping in touch with the county's children after Covid-19 put safety work in schools on hold.

Warwickshire Chief Fire Officer Kieran Amos was joined by community fire safety officer Gemma Childs in another 'first' in these unusual times – a live Facebook draw.

Talking about the competition, CFO Amos said: "The response has been amazing, so thank you to everyone who got involved and took the time to fill in a safety check.

"This helped you stay safe, learn critical life-saving skills and lets us do our jobs better.

"With the arrival of Covid-19, a lot of our direct work with communities had to be put on hold and that included our fire safety work in schools.

"This however hasn't stopped our fire prevention team coming up with innovative ways to keep both our children and our communities safer.

"We were originally going to draw 10 winners, but due to the overwhelming response we decided to draw 15.

"Now you are all officially junior fire safety champions and honorary members of our firefighting service."

Warwickshire community safety portfolio holder Councillor Andy Crump said: "The scheme provides children with a fantastic opportunity to learn about the importance of fire safety from a young age in a fun and interactive way.

"The aim of the scheme is not only to encourage the children to undertake fire safety checks in their own homes, but also in the homes of elderly and vulnerable members of our community, helping our fire prevention team to identify those who may need a little extra support."