Fireworks in Scotland: consultation

Part Three: Prevention and Community Involvement

Partnership Working and Prevention

Across Scotland, local partnerships which often include the local authority, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Trading Standards and other community safety partners work together to ensure people and communities can enjoy fireworks safely. This happens particularly for large organised events and in preparation for bonfire night when fireworks are most likely to be used in our communities.

Depending on local circumstances, a range of approaches are often in place to prevent fireworks being misused and to target those who might be likely to misuse fireworks in and around bonfire night. This includes:

• Sharing intelligence among local partners about areas of high risk to prevent anti-social behaviour and increase public safety.
• Prevention and education activities to promote fire safety to the general public and school pupils; information packs to local groups planning to hold firework displays; inspections of premises who store and sell fireworks; and removing material that could be used for bonfires.

Question 7. What do you think could be done by national and local partners to further prevent the misuse of fireworks?

Community Involvement

Enabling people to be involved in influencing decisions that affect their local community is important, and this equally applies to the issue of fireworks. Communities that are enabled to work together effectively, and in partnership with local partners, have the potential to identify more effective and sustainable solutions.

We are interested in your views about what more could be done to enable and encourage communities to be more involved in preventing fireworks being used inappropriately and to ensure they are enjoyed safely.

Question 8. What ways do you think communities could be involved in supporting the safe use of fireworks?

Local Examples of Practice. We would like to hear any examples of how your community is involved in organising or promoting the safe and responsible use of fireworks.

Communication and Awareness Raising

National safety campaigns are run every year to encourage the safe use of fireworks.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), for example, run an annual campaign which aims to reduce rubbish and refuse fires, fires in derelict buildings, and fires set off deliberately because of anti-social behaviour. This is often supported by local partnerships who arrange amnesty days to collect bulk items that could be used for bonfires.

In 2018, SFRS developed and hosted a dedicated national webpage listing organised fireworks events across the country which were open to the public so that they could attend these and enjoy a firework display in safety - https://www.firescotland.gov.uk/your-safety/fireworks-safety.aspx

Question 9. What do you think could be done to raise awareness of the risks of fireworks misuse among the public?