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