Emergency services team up to teach fun lessons in being safe this halloween

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, South Central Ambulance Service and Hampshire Constabulary teamed up for a spook-tacular fun day at Cosham Fire Station on Wayte Street this weekend.

PCSO Krissy Howard gave the youngsters tips on how to be safe on October 31.

She said: ‘Especially with halloween, we have a lot of residents who don’t open their doors to kids when they go trick-or-treating, and they get a lot of abuse with things like egg-throwing at their homes.

‘One of the things that we wanted to teach today was to only trick-or-treat houses that are decorated.’

Firefighters gave children guided tours of the fire engines, as well as teaching the vital ‘stop, drop and roll’.

Bruce Gordon, commander of Cosham Fire Station said: ‘This event is all about making the community safe on three grounds: preventing anti-social behaviour, firework and bonfire safety, and basic first aid.

‘It’s about children having fun but being safe whilst doing so.’

Staff from Sainsbury’s in Farlington were also there to do face-painting, and to tell families about their range of fire-resistant halloween costumes.

Dawn Bundy, from Cosham, brought four of her children along for the day.

She said: ‘The children always like having their faces painted but they also like to be educated about the services, and learn not to be scared of any of them.’

Richard Parsons, whose five-year-old son Eddie and seven-year-old daughter Rae enjoyed the activities, added: ‘This day is also for the grown-ups to know how to tell their kids about safety around this time of year.’