Working together to help build safer rural communities
Meet Ollie and Les! Two Essex County Fire and Rescue Service employees who are working together to help build safer rural communities.
At the launch of the Rural Community Builders from left to right Chief Inspector Ian Gennery, Essex Police, Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Jane Gardner, Jo Turton Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and Les Davis and Ollie Everott – ECFRS Rural Community Builders
Ollie Everott and Les Davis are working in the Braintree and Uttlesford district policing area as Rural Community Builders.
Working closely with Essex County Fire and Rescue Service’s Community Development Team as well as Essex Police and its officers from the Gypsy, Traveller and Rural Engagement Team, they act on referrals from community partners to visit people and businesses in rural areas of Braintree and Uttlesford, giving direct advice to those who need it to help them be safe in their homes and businesses.
This is a pilot project and following an evaluation could be rolled out to other parts of Essex in the future.
So far they have visited 26 vulnerable adults – giving advice on fire prevention, checking homes have working smoke alarms, advising on how to make fire escape plans and offering crime prevention advice.
The scheme was officially launched at the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex’s Rural Crime Forum on Wednesday, April 25th.
Jane Gardner, Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said: “The safety of those living in Essex’s rural communities is of paramount importance to us and this scheme is a fantastic example of police and fire working together to give advice to those in our communities who need it the most to help keep them safe. I’m looking forward to see how this works and develops in the future.”
