Keep safe in Staffordshire during the World Cup period

The World Cup is almost here, and we’re gearing up to make sure we keep people safe in Staffordshire.  

We expect to see lots of people enjoying themselves this summer, socialising with friends and family, hosting gatherings at home and hopefully celebrating lots of England goals on the road to the final.

That’s why we’re urging people to take the right steps to keep yourself and those around you safe in this period.

We don’t want to spoil the fun for anyone, but we know more people are likely to be cooking, hosting barbecues and driving to and from venues, which is why it’s vital that everyone is aware of the fire and safety risks during football tournaments.

Head of Prevent, Protect and Partnerships, Nick Jones, said: “This is typically a time that sees more people drinking alcohol and attending large social gatherings, which brings its own set of fire safety risks.

“More than half of the incidents we attend locally are caused by cooking, and when that is paired with increased alcohol use, there is a very real possibility that we could see a spike in accidental cooking fires during the World Cup.

“It is absolutely crucial that you don’t cook when you’ve had a drink. Even if you’ve not had much, the smallest lapse in judgement or concentration can be the difference between a fire starting, spreading and becoming a serious cause for concern.

“If you’re at a gathering with people who are drinking, make sure someone who isn’t drinking is in charge of the cooking, or if that isn’t possible, consider ordering food or pre-preparing it instead.

“Barbecues must also only be used by people who aren’t drinking. They should be kept well clear of flammable objects, away from fence panels and shrubbery, and should be supervised occupied at all times.”

Our colleagues at Staffordshire Police are also carrying out a number of patrols across our road networks to ensure those potentially drink or drug driving are apprehended as quickly as possible.

Ian said: “It’s best practice to arrange transport to and from venues well in advance if you’re planning to have a drink.

“What we don’t want to see is an increase in collisions linked to drink or drug driving where serious harm is caused to people and demand for emergency services increases significantly.

“By working together and making sure we take the easy preventative steps, we can keep Staffordshire safe and make sure everyone enjoys the summer time as much as possible.”