Red Watch in the Limelight

Reporters:
Elizabeth Doran
Stephanie Kettle
Neil Leavesley
Kyle Grannell

Hoax 999 callers are endangering the safety of the public. That was the message from Red Watch Commander Ray Lovelady when Huyton Today reporters visited Huyton Fire Station recently.

Ray explained that the Fire Service’s job is often hampered by malicious and hoax calls, often from local youths.

”Malicious false alarms endanger both our lives and the lives of those who may desperately need us elsewhere. We need to get that message across and cut down the number of false alarms,“ said Ray.

Fire fighters are trained to deal with all kinds of emergencies but their lives are often put on the line in dealing with deliberate fires.

“It’s a dangerous job,” explained Ray. “You know the risks you're taking on when you come into this job, but why should you have those risks multiplied by kids thinking it's great fun to burn out a house?” he added.

Huyton Today reporters were shocked to hear that fire officers are often ambushed by youths who throw a variety of objects at them and their appliance. Stones, bricks, eggs and even excrement have all been hurled at officers as they have attended call-outs. Fire officer Ian Lewis showed our reporters some of the damage inflicted on Huyton's fire appliance in recent attacks.

Fire Officer Steve Whittle hopes that local youths will get the message that malicious and hoax calls can kill.

“If only they could see the problems they cause when they set fire to a skip while there may be a genuine house fire down the road,” he said.

Ray Lovelady had this warning to those responsible: “All calls that come through now are recorded and we have a system of getting that 'phone number. Voice analysts can identify the voices of people making malicious calls.”

Huyton Today reporters are busy filming a documentary about the role of the Fire Service (click here). They hope that young people in the area will behave responsibly towards the emergency services, as the consequences of malicious calls can be time-consuming, expensive and potentially fatal.

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