Latest news with #ChrisKirby
BBC News
15 hours ago
- Climate
- BBC News
South Yorkshire fire chief calls for minister for drownings
South Yorkshire's most senior firefighter has met MPs to call for the government to do more to prevent lives lost to fire officer Chris Kirby visited Parliament this week as part of the Royal Life Saving Society's (RLSS) Drowning Prevention joined the group in asking for a change in the law, as drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental deaths in the UK, but has no dedicated minister in Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is called when people swimming in open water during warm weather get into difficulties. Mr Kirby said: "What we've noticed in the fire and rescue service over the last 10 years is the significant increase in the number of people who are getting into difficulties within the water."They often don't intend to climb in the water, but our climate is getting warmer and we're having sustained periods of warm weather so people will be attracted to the water."We want to encourage people to swim safely, understand their limitations, and we're just calling out more awareness for water safety matters."We also want there to be a government minister responsible for water safety in England and also want the government to realise that responding to emergencies is not a statutory duty for fire and rescue services in England, yet it is in the devolved nations including Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland." He also issued advice for people who may find themselves in difficulty in the water this Kirby said: "We want to make sure they know how to float by laying on their back, keeping their head above water, and gently paddling their arms and legs and breathing normally."When people start to panic they are much more likely to get into difficulties."We also recommend people to never swim alone, do it with friends or at least make sure there is somebody to call 999 if anyone does get into difficulty." Also attending the event was Simon Haycock, whose son Sam died in Ulley Reservoir, near Rotherham, in said he was continuing to share the story of Sam's death as the dangers of open water still needed said: "Seeing South Yorkshire Police recently put out a warning about young people being seen swimming at the reservoir made me feel gutted as it is painful to hear people are still going in there."These waters are not safe to swim in and most of the places people swim in, they're not thinking about their strategy of, 'how am I going to get out', or 'how hard is it going to be if I get in trouble for someone to come rescue me?' "There's all these factors and risk assessing that they are not doing – they are just having fun and they are putting themselves in danger without even knowing it."We've learnt the hard way and we don't want other families going through what we went through as it's heartbreaking, We were robbed of a future with Sam just for him having a bit of fun."The BBC has contacted the government for a response. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
17-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Warwick exhibition shows more than 200 years of army food
A temporary exhibition in a Warwickshire museum will explore the history of how the Army has fed its troops over the last 200 & Cookers – 200 Years of Food in the Army runs from 15 February until 26 April at The Fusilier Museum exhibition uses diary entries from Warwickshire soldiers, as well as objects linked to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, to paint a picture of provisions across to the display is included in admission tickets, and under-16s can enter for free. Included in the World War One section are hard tack biscuits, which were made from flour, water and a small amount of salt, and were baked until they were very tough."If you tried to eat them, you'd break your teeth," said Chris Kirby, the museum's general manager. "The idea of them was this indestructible food you could carry around with you anywhere. You wouldn't get attacked by vermin, it wouldn't suffer too much from different environmental conditions," he said."As soon as you put it into a stew or hot water you could make a food, a porridge with it."Soldiers even used to write on the biscuits, some examples of which are displayed. In World War Two, soldiers' food was more diverse and their diets more balanced, according to Mr were given rations that were a combination of tinned food and dry, packed exhibition sees containers from this period on display, including some from the German these are utensils such as spoons and forks, preserved from battlefields."What our research has suggested is, actually, the spoon is the most key utensil that a soldier will have to feed themselves with... forget a knife or a fork, a spoon is what you need," Mr Kirby said. The earliest war depicted in the exhibition is the 1899 Boer War in South from this period include chocolate bars and utensils."The bars of chocolate are still perfectly preserved," said Mr Kirby."Personally, as a chocolate lover, I don't know how anybody could have not eaten that a long time addition to the display, there is a talk on 1 March led by Paul Colbourne, WW1 expert and former National Geographic correspondent. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
