...officials at a block of flats have banned children from playing in paddling pools because they present a ‘fire risk’.Pretty certain in the event of a fire engine needing to gain access in a real emergency, it'd win over a flimsy piece of plastic.
The housing association said the pools might get in the way of fire engines arriving to tackle a blaze.
And even the fire brigade think this one's a non-starter.
However firefighters have branded the edict ridiculous and endorse the common sense view that the pools would come in handy if a fire ever did break out.Residents aren't too chuffed either:
Emma Stacey, 30, whose six-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son have been playing in the pool during the hot weather, said: ‘This is an equality issue. If a child lives in a flat, the council are basically saying they do not have the same right to play, socialise and exercise as children living in houses.Sensible comment comes from the firefighters:
‘The kids aren’t allowed to skate outside, are not allowed to play ball games, and now this. Parents have to take their children somewhere to play. It’s the health and safety brigade gone mad again.’
Graham Hart, a senior officer at nearby Hornchurch fire station, said fire engines were rarely driven onto grassy areas and that the pools would ‘come in handy’.But the drones beg to differ. He's just a fireman, for god's sake - what does he know about it?
‘I know the estate very well and I can see absolutely no access issues whatsoever,’ he added.
Homes in Havering said: ‘We work closely with the London Fire Service to minimise the risk of serious incidents and ensure speedy access. For this reason we do not allow items, such as paddling pools, which could in certain circumstances obstruct access.’'We work closely with them. But we don't listen to anything they might have to say.'
It's got to be a*se covering by the Housing Association. And probably also a belief that parents aren't responsible to manage such a potentially dangerous hazard by themselves.
ReplyDeleteThats the first time I've heard of water causing a fire hazard
ReplyDeleteThis chemical you so casually dismiss as "water" is two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen, no wonder our H & S guardians are concerned about the fire risk! I mean, NASA fuel their rocket boosters with this stuff.
ReplyDeleteAlso, in some circumstances it can assume a solid state capable of destroying things as large as the Titanic so just think what a collision would do to a mere fire engine...
Thank goodness Homes in Havering have sense to protect us from this terrible hazard. Ban this "water" before it kills us all!!
Paddling pools are clearly very dangerous; they can be used to drown officials in.
ReplyDeleteSee how the sheep instantly resort to spouting about 'equality issues' though, with a bit of 'think of the cheeldren' thrown in for good measure?
ReplyDeleteBest thing to do would be to simply ignore the Council.
Bucko said...
ReplyDeleteThats the first time I've heard of water causing a fire hazard
Try dripping a cup full down the back of your computer while it is switched on.
As to a swimming pool getting in the way of a fire appliance, I have seen myself, and any police officer or Fireman that has been to a large inner city incident involving the fire brigade will tell you, fire appliances CAN remove the most obstructing of blockages. Mostly being parked cars, which an H.G.V backed up by however many tons of water and equipment makes VERY short work of.
The insurance companies do not get overjoyed, but hay so WHAT?
Follow ups.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised they went down the safety route rather than 'elf.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child, my local park had a permanent and supposedly chlorinated paddling pool*; any heatwave soon produced an entertaining variety of wriggly creatures and suspicious murky patches.
* That was, of course, in the good old days of 12' high slides and roundabouts capable of generating truly astounding centrifugal force, all on a base of unyielding concrete.
A few years ago some friends and I held a bike rally at a rural pub in Essex.
ReplyDeleteIt was an annual event but, in that year, the pub landlord had just taken over the lease and was a bit sceptical about having hundreds of bikers camping in the field behind the pub. As things turned out, he wanted us to turn out every other week, given his beer sales.
As we set the site up, the man from the council showed up to inspect the site, along with a couple of blokes who were something to do with the Fire Brigade.
The site had clear lanes and clearly designated fire points with buckets of sand and water and extinguishers of all types. We had an onsite policy of "no fires." We had a plan for responding to a fire.
The man from the council told us that he was unsatisfied with our plans to combat fire. Our rally could not go ahead.
The bloke next to him then said "Well, actually I'm impressed by the steps these lads have taken and I intend to write this into the manual as an example of best practise at events of this kind."
"Who are you?"
"I'm the chief fire prevention officer for the area."
We got the licence, then got screwed the next year because we couldn't afford the required public liability insurance policy.
"It's got to be a*se covering by the Housing Association."
ReplyDeleteOh, definitely.
"Thats the first time I've heard of water causing a fire hazard"
Mind-boggling, isn't it?
"Ban this "water" before it kills us all!!"
:D
"Paddling pools are clearly very dangerous; they can be used to drown officials in."
I can see why people'd be tempted!
"See how the sheep instantly resort to spouting about 'equality issues' though..."
Yup! This is sometimes a good thing though; it can be the only way to get them to back down. Lord knows, reason doesn't seem to work as it should.
"...I have seen myself, and any police officer or Fireman that has been to a large inner city incident involving the fire brigade will tell you, fire appliances CAN remove the most obstructing of blockages. Mostly being parked cars, which an H.G.V backed up by however many tons of water and equipment makes VERY short work of."
Indeed. And if you've parked obstructing a fire access, hey, it's not like they've any choice, is it? Your car, or some people's lives - not a hard choice.
"I'm surprised they went down the safety route rather than 'elf.
When I was a child, my local park had a permanent and supposedly chlorinated paddling pool*; any heatwave soon produced an entertaining variety of wriggly creatures and suspicious murky patches."
Ah, biodiversity! :D
"..."Who are you?"
"I'm the chief fire prevention officer for the area."..."
Classic!