An emotional new animation re-telling the story of a Rotherham schoolboy who drowned four years ago has been watched more than a quarter of a million times in less than a week.

Sam Haycock was celebrating after his last day of school, a hot day in May 2021, when the 16-year-old visited Ulley Reservoir in Rotherham with friends.

But after getting into difficulty in the water, Sam could not be saved by emergency services.

The short film created by former Pixar animator Gary Andrews forms part of the latest effort by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue to prevent young people needlessly drowning in open water.

Watch the video here

Chris Tyler, group manager at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said: “Sam’s story is incredibly tragic and shows just what can happen if you don’t treat water with respect.

“Water in lakes and reservoirs is often much colder than you think – even on hot days. It can cause your body to go into cold water shock, leaving you helpless in seconds. There can also be hidden currents that can overpower even strong swimmers.

“If you want to swim in open water it is best do this as part of an organised group who consider the weather and other factors that could impact safety, and take care to properly acclimatize to the water temperatures.

“Our ask is to share this video with any young people you know so that we don’t lose any more young people in the water”.

Sam’s dad, Simon, set up the water safety campaign group, Sam’s Army Mission 1Life in memory of his son.
Simon said: “It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to outlive their children.

“That’s why I’ve dedicated myself to raising awareness and educating young people about the dangers of water through Sam’s Army. But there’s only so much I can do.

“We continue to call on the government to put drowning prevention on the agenda and ensure that no one goes through the trauma we went through.”

Alongside the amination, SYFR issued a list of advice to young people this summer:

• Never jump into open bodies of water – this can cause cold water shock and impact on your ability to swim
• Do not ‘drink and swim’ – alcohol can significantly impact your ability to swim and get to safety
• Don’t be peer pressured into swimming where you aren’t comfortable, or if you can’t swim
• If you get into trouble, float to live – fight the instinct to thrash around, lean back and stay afloat until you can control your breathing and call for help
• If a friend gets into trouble, encourage them to float to live and call 999 immediately

Firefighters across South Yorkshire are urging members of the public to be extra careful during the current heatwave.

Temperatures forecast on Saturday (21 June) have prompted South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s fire officers to issue another plea to the public around helping to prevent any wildfires across the county.

They are asking people to stop having garden bonfires during the period of extreme heat, refrain from taking disposable BBQs out with them and to ensure they don’t leave rubbish – especially glass bottles – lying around.

Specifically, officers are asking people to consider the impact of their behaviour and, ultimately, wildfires, on things like the local landscape and wildlife.

“During periods of intense heat the ground becomes so dry – this means that fires are easier to start and will spread so much quicker,” said Area Manager John Billings, head of service delivery.

“Our ask of people is, first and foremost, that they don’t burn rubbish in their garden over the coming days. During a heatwave these small fires can easily get out of hand.

“We’re then asking that, especially this coming weekend, people don’t take disposable BBQs out with them to parks, fields or moorland areas. Whilst we know most people are very responsible, the risk of wildfire is extremely high right now.

“And then last but not least, please take your litter home with you or put it in the bin. This one may seem random, but glass bottles in particular can magnify the sun’s rays and start fires.

“Ultimately we want people to consider the impact of their actions on not just us, but also on local wildlife. When you’re out in the countryside and in moorland areas, you are in their home, and what starts as a small fire can easily grow bigger and see them displaced.”

As well as urging people to be careful with things like BBQs and not to have garden bonfires, the service is also asking residents to be vigilant around deliberate fire-setting.

“Lots of the incidents we attend are deliberately, which is really disappointing, but unfortunately not a huge surprise to us.

“Our final ask of the public is that if they know anyone who is intentionally setting fires – which tie up our crews and can put people at serious risk – then they report it to us.”

Residents can share information on arson, anonymously, by calling 0800 169 5558.

South Yorkshire’s fire chief will meet Parliamentarians this week, as national calls grow to do more to prevent UK drownings.

Chief Fire Officer Chris Kirby will attend the Royal Life Saving Society’s (RLSS) Drowning Prevention Week (14 to 21 June) event in his role as water safety lead for the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).

Later the same day he will present at the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Water Safety Education at which he will call on MPs to do more at a national level to tackle drownings. Drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental deaths in the UK- but has no dedicated ministerial portfolio in government.

Chris said: “Recent statistics highlight a stark reality: hundreds of accidental drowning deaths occur in the UK each year, many of which could have been prevented with greater awareness, education, and regulation.

“By advocating for a ministerial portfolio, the National Fire Chiefs Council joins other organisations in working towards ensuring that drowning prevention receives the strategic oversight and resources it needs. This portfolio would enable the implementation of robust policies and measures, including public education campaigns, improved access to safety equipment and enhanced collaborations between agencies responsible for water safety.”

Simon Haycock who set up the water safety campaign group, Sam’s Army Mission 1Life after his son sadly drowned at Ulley Reservoir in 2021, will also be visiting Westminster as part of this initiative.

Simon said: “It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to outlive their children.

“That’s why I’ve dedicated myself to raising awareness and educating young people about the dangers of water through Sam’s Army. But there’s only so much I can do.

“That’s why I join Chris Kirby and  NFCC in calling on the government to put drowning prevention on the agenda and ensure that no one goes through the trauma we went through.”

The campaign group also raises money to provide lifesaving equipment such as throwlines around lakes and reservoirs.

According to Water Incident Database (WAID) statistics* in the period 2020–2024, 1,334 people lost their lives in accidental drowning incidents. Of these, more than half occurred in inland waterways such as rivers, lakes and canals.

The public often believes that fire and rescue services are responsible for responding to these water rescue incidents and delivering water safety prevention work, but there is currently no statutory duty on fire and rescue services in England to do so.

The absence of a statutory duty in England limits the resources fire and rescue services can allocate to water safety and rescue, resulting in differences in equipment, training and standards between fire and rescue services.

Currently there is no dedicated, continuous funding for fire and rescue service inland water safety response and prevention work.

“We are working closely with partners in the National Water Safety Forum to do whatever possible to reduce the risk, but we would like to see an increased political effort to drive down numbers. This also means consulting on giving fire and rescue services in England enhanced legal duties to respond to inland water incidents so that we can be better equipped and prepared to deal with those emergencies when they happen,” said Chris.

Matt Croxall, Interim Charity Director at RLSS UK, added: “As a charity, we are grateful for the partnership and advocacy work shared with South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, especially during important campaigns like Drowning Prevention Week.

“Too many lives are lost through accidental drownings each year and that’s why our campaign is so important, as it urges families to learn about water safety and how to respond in an emergency.

“The Westminster event is an important opportunity to highlight the issue of drownings in the UK and make clear the support we require from the Government to ensure everyone can enjoy water safely.”

The Westminster event takes place on 17 June. For more information on drowning prevention, visit Be Water Aware – NFCC

We have a number of station open days, events and car washes planned this year.

Below is a list of all the current stations holding an event.

Station Open Days

Lowedges station – Lowedges Road, Sheffield, S8 7JN – Saturday, 28 June 2025 between 11am and 3pm

Rotherham station – Fitzwilliam Road, Eastwood, Rotherham, S65 1ST – Saturday 12 July 2025 between 10am and 4pm

Aston Park Station – Worksop Road, Aston S26 2FZ  – Saturday 13 September 2025 between 11am and 3pm

Car Washes

There are currently no car washes planned.

All charity car washes are in aid of The Fire Fighters Charity.

Events

Biker Down sessions – Dearne station, Manvers Way, Rotherham, S63 5DN.

The new sessions will take place from 6.30pm to 9.30pm at Dearne Fire Station on:

· 26th June
· 24th July
· 21st August
· 25th September

Places are limited so please email bikerdown@syfire.gov.uk to secure your place.

Giving motorcyclists the skills to ride safely is the aim of a relaunched training course delivered by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue (SYFR).

Almost 200 powered-two-wheeler riders were injured in a collision on South Yorkshire roads in 2023, 100 of those crashes were serious or fatal.

The free Biker Down! programme offers motorcyclists of all ages the chance to learn practical skills to help avoid being involved in a collision, as well as essential first-aid training and advice on what to do should they find themselves first on the scene where someone is injured.

The session is based on the hugely successful initiative originally devised by Kent Fire & Rescue Service and is being delivered as part of the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership’s (SYSRP) Vision Zero work.

Chris Tyler, Group Manager at SYFR said: “If you were the first on the scene of a collision involving a biker, would you know what to do?

“By equipping motorcyclists with the skills and knowledge they need to ride safely, we hope it will help us to reach our shared long-term ambition of ending all death and serious injury on South Yorkshire’s roads.”

The session is both classroom and practical based, giving riders who are first on the scene the awareness of how to manage the area for everyone’s safety, and provide basic first-aid skills if needed. While themed around a collision involving a rider, the skills and knowledge are equally as useful if you come across any vehicle collision whether four, three or two-wheeled. For example, as a rider you are more likely to filter through stationary traffic and be confronted with a collision as the reason for the build-up or come across an incident on remote country roads.

The new sessions will take place from 6.30pm to 9.30pm at Dearne Fire Station. Places are limited so please email bikerdown@syfire.gov.uk to secure your place.

Full list of dates for Biker Down sessions:

· 24th April
· 22nd May
· 26th June
· 24th July
· 21st August
· 25th September

Plans have been submitted for a major refurbishment of a long-standing Sheffield fire station.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue wants to take Elm Lane fire station ‘back to brick’ to create a safe, modern and sustainable building for firefighters.

The service had originally intended to build a brand new fire station on the same site, but soaring construction costs made this unachievable.

Instead the refurbishment will change the layout of the station, creating new training and rest areas.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Simon Dunker, said: “We’re committed to providing our firefighters with the best possible buildings, vehicles and equipment with which to serve their communities. Whilst rebuilding the station entirely proved unaffordable, these plans will still achieve our aim of creating a safe and energy efficient building for our crews for many years to come.”

Elm Lane Fire Station in Sheffield has an interesting history. It was initially transferred from the National Fire Service after World War Two and was originally housed in a converted wartime building.

The station later became part of the South Yorkshire County Fire Service when it was formed in 1974, following the amalgamation of several local brigades. Over the years, it has seen various upgrades and changes.

Before Elm Lane Fire Station was built, the site was home to Cliffe House, a large country house constructed in 1805.

Cliffe House was no longer a private residence by 1934 and was eventually demolished in the late 1950s to make way for the fire station which is currently based on the site.

The station hosts one full time fire engine, crewed by firefighters operating a four watch system.

South Yorkshire residents have less than a week to feedback on their fire service’s objectives for the next three years.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue says it wants to remove inefficiency, boost performance and embed an inclusive workplace culture as it strives to become one of the country’s leading fire and rescue services.

A change to how it responds to 999 calls would see a vehicle which is used to respond to small incidents like grass and bin fires move from Cudworth to Dearne fire station. The fire service says this would be a better location for the vehicle based on incident data- analysed as part of a full review of all its fire stations and fire engines.

The proposals are set out in the service’s draft Community Risk Management Plan 2025-2028.  Every fire service publishes plans like these to tell local people the steps they will take to make them safer and address risks in their local area.

You can view South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s draft Community Risk Management Plan 2025 to 2028 here.

You can feedback on the plans using the survey here.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Simon Dunker, said: “Responding to emergencies efficiently and effectively remains our number one priority as a fire and rescue service. But we also deliver other important work to make local people safer and our Community Risk Management Plan is a way we demonstrate how we combine all our resources to address risks in South Yorkshire. Now we want local people to feedback on those plans- as well as our other objectives for the next four years.”

The draft plans were considered by the service’s governing Fire & Rescue Authority on Monday 25 November, who approved the service begin consulting with its staff and the public on the proposals. The Fire Authority is made up of 12 members from across South Yorkshire’s four councils.

The consultation will close on 7 February 2025, before the final plans are considered by Fire Authority members on 17 February.

Thousands of people in Rotherham will be safer from fire thanks to a new arrangement between the council and fire service.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and Rotherham Council have signed an agreement which means the addresses of up to 7,000 properties which receive assisted bin collections will be passed onto the fire service so that specialist staff can offer free smoke alarms and advice on stopping blazes to residents.

The council offers assisted bin collections to people with a disability or medical condition which prevents them from putting their bins out on their own. With known links between people receiving assisted collections and risk of fire, the agreement has been put in place so the fire service can contact people living at those addresses to offer them help.

Toni Tranter, Joint Community Safety and Early Intervention Manager at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said: “So many of the people who needlessly die in house fires are known to another agency whether that’s a local authority, social housing provider or health partner. Through collaborations with other public services such as this we hope that we can plug the gap and create a safer South Yorkshire for everyone.”

Cllr Simon Ball at Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, said: “It’s great that we can partner with South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue to use our data to benefit our communities. Many residents who get an assisted waste collection have a disability or medical condition, so we’re pleased to be able to work with South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue to provide people with even more support to keep them safe.”

Between 2019 and 2024, 16 people died in house fires in South Yorkshire and fire service investigations finding that issues such as hoarding, drugs, alcohol and mental health problems frequently contributing to the fires starting.

If you know someone who you think may be at risk, carry out an online home safety check with them today.

A Barnsley firefighter has backed a charity campaign to raise money for 999 mental health support.

Dan Nortcliffe, a Watch Manager at Tankersley fire station, struggled with his own mental health following divorce and childhood bereavement.

Now he’s calling on others to open up and seek the support of organisations like Fire Fighters Charity- which a push for the Christmas number one spot is trying to raise funds for.

Dan said: “After my divorce and dealing with the death of my dad when I was just 10 years old, I found myself struggling with poor mental health. I wasn’t feeling great about life and it was affecting my work and personal life.

“Recognizing the need for support, our occupational health team recommended that I try the online counselling services provided by Fire Fighters Charity. I was hesitant at first, but I knew I needed help.”

Dan reached out to the charity and was connected with one of the charity’s counsellors, who made a profound impact on his journey to better mental health.

“The counsellor was amazing. He helped me build my own coping mechanisms and provided a sense of stability that I desperately needed. One thing he said that will stick with me forever is, ‘I’m not going anywhere, I’m here while ever you need me.’ That assurance meant the world to me.”

Dan’s story is not unique. Poor mental health is a significant issue for many emergency service workers, including firefighters. However, there is a growing recognition that it is okay to speak about these struggles.

“We work in a service that has historically predominantly male-dominated, and in South Yorkshire, we were taught to ‘man up.’ But society is slowly realising that showing emotions doesn’t mean we are weak. This applies to all firefighters, regardless of our differences.”

South Yorkshire Fire & Resue has invested heavily in mental health support for its staff, including a 24/7 helpline and setting up peer-led support for firefighters following traumatic incidents.

Fire Fighters Charity also plays a vital role by providing essential mental health support to firefighters. Their services, including online counselling, offer a lifeline to those in need, helping them to navigate their mental health challenges and build resilience.

Download ‘The Fire Safety Dance’ for 99p today to support the charity’s mission: Big Shaun and The Steel People – The Fire Safety Dance

If you are affected by the information in this story you can call the Samaritans on any phone, at any time on 116 123.

Bookies have South Yorkshire firefighters ahead of Sabrina Carpenter and Sam Fender in the race for Christmas number one, after more than 130,000 people viewed a music video in less than 48 hours.

The song, Fire Safety Dance for the Fire Fighters Charity, has been created by a local band, Big Shaun and the Steel People.

It celebrates the work that firefighters do day in, day out to keep the public safe and aims to raise money to support the mental health of fire service staff.

William Hill has made the song 33-to-one shots for the festive summit- well ahead of many international artists and early favourites for the coveted top spot.

Andy Strelczenie, Deputy Chief Fire Officer at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said: “It’s incredible to think that South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue could make it to the top of the charts this Christmas.

“But the best part of it would be the amount of money that would have been raised for the Fire Fighters Charity who do such important work to support firefighters with their health and wellbeing.”

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue is calling on young people aged 16 or under to submit their own attempts at the ‘Fire Safety Dance’ as part of the chart topping campaign.

“I’m putting up £100 of my own money as a prize for the best dance. You don’t need any dancing ability or if your mobility is limited, any movements are fine. All you need to do is send us a video of your dance, or tag us on social media before the chart is announced on 20 December,” said Andy.

The bid for the Christmas Number One is the final part of the service’s 50th year anniversary celebrations.

The single is officially released on Friday (13 December) or is available to pre-order now

Or watch the video here