[15 February 2007]

Calling On Creative Brownie Packs in East Sussex.

Fire & Rescue Service needs help from Brownies.

Brownie packs in East Sussex are being given the chance to participate in a campaign to design a leaflet that could help save thousands of young children from burn and scalding injuries.

East and West Sussex Fire & Rescue Services have jointly developed a partnership with The Children´s Fire and Burn Trust and the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead to educate and inform the public of the risks posed to children from burns and scalds.

After a recent visit to Preston Circus Fire Station in Brighton as part of the Brownies´ Fire Safety badge, Brownies from the “7th Preston Park Pack” offered their help in finding a way to further raise awareness of the dangers of burns and scalds across East Sussex.

Following this visit, both Fire & Rescue Services are now encouraging all Brownie packs throughout Sussex to design a leaflet that makes people think about how they can prevent these accidents from happening.

Firefighter Scott Saunders of East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS), said: “Brownies should use their imaginations and be as creative as they can. The winning leaflet could take the form of a flyer, a wordsearch, a puzzle, a poster – the brighter the better so as to attract people´s attention.”

Liz Turnbull, Community Education Officer for the Children´s Fire & Burn Trust, said: “In the course of our work with the children´s ward at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, we have learnt that large numbers of children under the age of four are being injured with hot tea, coffee and bath water. We have been working to warn parents and carers of the dangers of hot liquids but we also want to get children involved themselves, working with the Brownies will get the message across. We want everyone to remember – HOT WATER BURNS LIKE FIRE.”

The winning design, which should take the format of an A5 leaflet, will be distributed through hospitals in Sussex, local schools and via community partners. The closing date for entries is Friday 9 February. The winning Brownie Pack will receive a special prize and all members of the pack will benefit.

Entries should be sent to Liz Turnbull, Community Education Officer, The Children´s Fire & Burn Trust, 5 Wistwood, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 4RD.

Simple prevention tips for parents and carers to avoid scalding include:

• Always place hot drinks out of the reach of children. A drink will remain hot enough to scald for up to 15 minutes after it has been poured.
• Tap water is hot enough to scald.
• If you run a bath for yourself or members of your family, run the cold water first, then add the hot and always check the temperature of the water using your elbow.
• Fast action can reduce scarring so always submerge the burned area in cool water for a minimum of 10 minutes.

[The Priory Partnership]