This week sees the launch of the Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Student Media awards at Campus West Cinema in Welwyn Garden City.
The concept of the project has come from Borehamwood Firefighter Brian Chamberlain who proposed that Fire Crews in Hertfordshire could work with young people to create a road safety video, and then share it with their peers via social media to make their friends and colleagues aware of the hazards of dangerous driving.
Brian says “Statistically, young drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a car accident. In the first two years of driving, 1 in 3 drivers are involved in an accident. It is essential for younger drivers to understand the consequences of dangerous driving, and that is what this project aims to achieve.”
An award ceremony is taking place this week (Friday 23 rd November) where the final videos will be shown on the big screen at Campus West Cinema in Welwyn Garden City. Attending the event will be Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant Mr Robert Voss CBE and the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire Suzy Harvey.
At the Premier, Hertfordshire Fire Chief Officer Darryl Keen will select a winner from this year’s entries; the winning video will then be used as the central media piece for Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service’s 2018 Driving Home for Christmas road safety campaign #HomeForXmas2018
Firefighters from Borehamwood, Watford, Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City have been working with students from colleges in their area to create films. The project has also allowed fire crews and students to work and engage with other agencies such as Hertfordshire Police, the Hertfordshire Road Safety Partnership, Community Safety Partnership and the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance, along with local businesses such as Elstree Studios, the BBC, and MGM Stunt Cars Ltd, who have also added valuable time and resources to ensure the success of the project so far.
For a preview clip of Borehamwood Fire Crew and Elstree University Technical College’s entry, please follow the YouTube link below: https://youtu.be/C8NP45n7PUA
