HIAL has launched a major fire safety awareness campaign for children in communities served by its 10 airports in the North and West of Scotland.

Children in Benbecula started to receive their own information packs this week, alerting them to the dangers of fire and telling them what to do in the case of an emergency.

The airport operator is sponsoring 500 children through the National Fire Safety Charity for Children’s education programme. Established in 1985, the NFSCC is dedicated to educating children in fire safety and easing the distress of burns victims.

The campaign is aimed at children aged from 7 to 11 and will provide special fire safety packs for use in classrooms across the Highlands and Islands. A total of 20 schools in the areas served by HIAL will be involved in the initiative with 25 youngsters from each school receiving a booklet and education pack. The sponsored material will help reinforce the educational work done locally by the fire services and NFSCC.

The booklets engage children in a range of project work, activities and course work with the benefit of being both fun and informative. Through focusing on the key curriculum elements of personal, social and health education the sponsored materials will have a wide application and be a resource that will benefit the whole community.

HIAL believes the project is particularly important in remoter communities where quick action can save lives when fire breaks out and response times for the emergency services can be longer due to the distances involved.

Schools in the ten Highlands and Islands Airports areas will benefit from the fire safety awareness campaign - Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Inverness, Islay, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick.

Highlands and Islands Airports’ operational services manager Paul Clarkson, who has the ultimate responsibility for HIAL’s rescue and fire fighting service, sees the project as a logical extension of the company’s role within communities.

"Highlands and Islands Airports view this project as a worthwhile cause that supports local communities and raises awareness of how dangerous fires can be. Experience shows that children who do know what to do in the event of fire can make a big difference and ultimately save lives. These resources will support and reaffirm the valuable educational work already carried out by the fire services and help to ensure the safety message stays firmly in place with young people," said Mr Clarkson.

"Our airports offer vital social, business and welfare links to otherwise remote communities and play a core role in the day to day life of these areas. We are committed to working with the people we serve and it is true to say that each of our airports is part of their local community, whether they are helping to bring people together, generating business and investment or providing lifeline links for medical services. The individual airport consultative committees ensure that we are always listening and working with communities to help them achieve their goals.

"This fire safety campaign is one of many ways we can add value to the viability and sustainability of these communities and an investment in the young people of the North and West of Scotland is an investment in the future."

Highlands and Islands Airports’ commercial and marketing manager, Alex Johnson was himself a staff firefighter at Barra airport for two years. He added: "As a former airport firefighter I am very aware of the importance of fire safety and the crucial role that education and training can play in saving lives in emergency situations. Helping to raise fire awareness in the community is an extension of one of our roles as an airport operator and an initiative that we are very proud to support."

Bruce Robertson, The Highland Council's Director of Education, Culture and Sport said: "I am delighted that HIAL has invested in this schools' pack which will pass on essential life skills to pupils and supplement work in the classrooms across the Highlands and Islands."

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar's Chairman of Education, Councillor Norman L Macdonald said: "I very much welcome this initiative to educate and train children in fire safety awareness. Children should be aware of what to do in an emergency, particularly in remote areas where response times can be longer because of the distances involved. Most importantly they should be aware of their own safety. I am sure that whilst the messages are important, this campaign will prove to be fun for children as well as informative."

Councillor Dick Walsh, Education and Lifelong Learning spokesperson at Argyll and Bute Council said: "Any support given to schools in terms of children’s social and personal development, especially in terms of safety, is always welcome and we wholeheartedly endorse this important initiative."

The Chairwoman of Orkney Islands Councils Education Committee, Councillor Janice Annal said: "On behalf of Orkney Islands Council, I very much welcome the work which HIAL is undertaking across the Highlands and Islands and believe this latest campaign has great merits. I think there is a lot of work to do in raising the level of awareness of the dangers of fire to children. I am confident the campaign will go some considerable way towards highlighting that risk and making sure that our communities and our children remain as safe as possible."

ENDS