Shropshire street pastors in river rescue training session
Street pastors responsible for a dramatic fall in drownings in the River Severn in Shrewsbury last night received lifesaving tuition on river rescues from Shropshire firefighters.
The church going volunteers, who range from the mid-twenties to retired, and include teachers, charity and health workers, learned how to throw buoyancy aids and lines from the safety of the towpath to firefighters in the water who are members of the brigade’s Swiftwater Rescue Team.
Firefighters last night held a 90 minute training session for 14 street pastors from Shrewsbury and Telford at the Frankwell Quay in Shrewsbury. There will be two further sessions for another 20 street pastors on September 15 from 11am to 1pm and September 24 from 7pm to 9pm.
The initiative was launched by the fire chief after he asked the organisation how Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service could help them in their bid to protect vulnerable people on the streets of Shrewsbury.
"The contribution from Street Pastors to community safety in the past 12 months has been immense,” said Mr Redmond.
“Our firefighters are pleased to help with their request to improve their water safety skills."
Senior fire officers drew up a special riverside practical training schedule for firefighters from Shrewsbury’s blue watch to teach the volunteers to safely throw 20 metre lines to victims in differing water conditions and give water safety advice.
The volunteers have been given four throwlines and belts to carry during their 10pm to 4am Saturday night patrols through the streets of Shrewsbury town centre donated by the county brigade’s throwline supplier, Safequip UK.
There have been no deaths in the “Shrewsbury loop” section of the river which runs through the medieval town centre since the Street Pastors took to the streets in November 2011. Previously there had been 29 deaths in the river since 2004.
The brigade’s Assistant Group Commander Neil Griffiths said a reduction in incidents in the town centre River Severn loop was as a result of the “fantastic” Street Pastor scheme.
Keith Hackett, Trustee chairman of Shrewsbury Street Pastors, who had witnessed one young man dancing on the top of the Welsh Bridge during one night time patrol, said it was “a fantastic opportunity” for them to be trained to save lives.
“He could have fallen into the river at any time. Now we have the confidence and really good training,” he said.
