FIRE crews have blasted motorists who blocked fire engines rushing to a house fire by parking inconsiderately.
The incident happened a week last Monday (June 14) when crews from Whitchurch and Ross-on-Wye fire Stations sped to the scene in Symonds Yat west but found their way temporarily blocked
A Whitchurch Fire Station spokesperson posted the following day: “Yesterday morning crews from Whitchurch Fire Station and Ross on Wye Fire Station attended a house fire in Symonds Yat West.
“Unfortunately, on the way to the incident the crews were delayed due to parked cars which did not leave enough room for a fire engine to get through.
“Please be considerate when parking your car, and as the population of the Wye Valley increases three times due to tourism in the summer months, please be considerate when parking.
“If you own a holiday home, guest house or B&B please asks your guests to park considerately.
“Inconsiderate parking can be the difference between life and death in an emergency.
“Once again our crews are finding that parking in some residential areas has become much more congested and can be difficult for our appliances to navigate.
“Vehicle owners please take special care to make sure all of our emergency services can access the road.” Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) supported by West Mercia Police, are reminding drivers to be mindful of where they park on narrow roads.
They have put out leaflets headlined ‘No Way Thru’ to warn members of the public about the stark realities of inconsiderate parking, and provide parking tips to enable emergency service vehicles access.
Drivers are urged to park close to the kerb, fold in wing mirrors, and only park on one side of the road on narrow streets.
They should also obey the Highway Code and road markings such as yellow lines and box junctions, not park too close to corners or traffic calming measures.
A spokesperson said: “We are urging people to think before they park, emergency vehicles need more space than an average car.
“Inconsiderate parking can obstruct emergency vehicles and cause delays.
“If you would struggle to fit a car or van through parked cars it is very unlikely a fire engine and other emergency access vehicles will get through.
“Please think about how and where you park. Every second counts when someone needs our help!”
But some who took to social media urged fire crews to take more drastic measures, by installing bull bars on engines to ram obstructing vehicles out of the way.
One person posted: “Install bull-bars on the front of emergency vehicles, ram them out the way, then claim on their insurance to fix to damage to the emergency vehicle.
“Just because they’re not in their car, doesn’t mean they’re still not obstructing and putting people’s lives a risk.”
For more information, see www.hwfire.org.uk