New fire safety campaign includes publication today of new, up-to-date advice for children around Halloween and Bonfire Night.
Billie and Greg Shepherd have teamed-up with Fireman Sam and the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) in a bid to get young children switched on to safety this Halloween and Bonfire night.
As part of the safety awareness drive taking place this week, the celebrity parents and stars of the ITVBe series The Mummy Diaries helped teach a group of young children how to reduce the risk of injury from fireworks, bonfires and flammable costumes.
Billie (29) and Greg (34), who have two young children of their own, attended the Phileas Fox nursery school in Maida Vale and assisted Fireman Sam and CAPT safety officer Christine Tame in giving the safety speech.
The interactive safety session saw Billie and Greg demonstrating to the children how to Stop, Drop and Roll in a fire emergency, how to avoid touching hot items, as well as teaching the kids about wearing bright coloured clothing to help keep them visible at all times. The action was captured by an ITV camera crew for inclusion in a future episode of The Mummy Diaries.
The day’s proceedings were rounded off with an awareness-raising photoshoot. The photos will be released to the press in the run-up to Halloween and Bonfire Night to help spread the word about the safety tips and advice published by Fireman Sam and CAPT.
Billie has been switched on to fire safety since a ‘near-miss’ fire incident in her family four years ago. Her auntie’s dressing gown caught fire on a stove in her home in Essex when she was cooking – with almost disastrous consequences. Luckily, Billie’s aunt managed to remove the gown and throw it on the floor before the flames could spread or cause any damage to her body.
“Since this happened to my auntie, I have been really aware of fire safety and its importance,” says Billie. “I am now avoiding having any fire incidents myself at all costs. I will never have candles burning or naked flames around the kids and I am super keen that they learn about fire safety from a young age – it is essential knowledge that could save their life one day.”
