Amber Thursday calls for caution ahead of Bank Holiday fun

Amber Thursday is a cross-service, joint initiative to promote Fire, Road and Water Safety on the Thursday preceding the June bank holiday weekend. Fingal County Council’s Active Travel and Operations departments have joined forces with the RNLI, Dublin Fire Brigade and the Civil Defence in appealing to the public to stay safe when travelling or relaxing over the long weekend.

As thousands of people flock to beaches, rivers and pools, many more take to the roads, go camping or fire up the barbeque either in the garden or away from the home. All these activities bring with them, an important element of safety and awareness. Sadly, many of us have become accustomed to hearing news of accidents and injuries which occur on our roads, at home, at sea and on our waterways.

Thursday, 2 June marks the first ‘Amber Thursday’ event which is a joint collaboration between safety bodies, fire services and local authorities to help promote fire, road and water safety over the holiday weekend to ensure people are aware of risks and dangers associated with these activities.

The June bank holiday weekend is always high on the agenda for fire safety, water safety and road safety promotion officers, and this year, a joint cross-agency national promotion drive has been established to raise awareness of the three safety elements ahead of this busy weekend, namely, Amber Thursday.

‘If you get into trouble on the water, try and float to increase your chances of survival and wait for the cold-water shock to ease. If you spot a person in difficulty in the water alert a lifeguard or call 999 or 112 right away. Make the call and don’t wait for someone else to do it. It is very important that we all respect the water’, says Skerries RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Niall McGrotty.

The colour amber signifies a hazard or warning and #AmberThursday will be used to promote advice and guidance to the public this weekend. 

‘The Emergency Services are in demand at all times and we’re appealing to the public to obey public health and safety guidelines in order to reduce that demand and keep everyone safe this weekend’, says Assistant Civil Defence Officer Aiden Hanna.

This bank holiday weekend is a particularly busy time for firefighters who are called to various incidents including wildfires, forest fires, outdoor fires, barbeque or domestic fires and road traffic collisions. ‘We’ve seen in the past few weeks how damaging wildfires can be, how easily it can begin and spread. Do not light camp fires in forests, parks or wild areas. If you’re enjoying a barbecue at home, keep children and animals away from the cooking area and always have a bucket of water or sand close to extinguish flames if things get out of hand’, said Dublin Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer Dennis Keeley.

Fire Prevention Officers, Road Safety Officers, Water Safety Development Officers, Lifeguards and Community Gardaí will collaborate in promoting fire safety, road safety and water safety in their localities on or ahead of Thursday, 2 June ahead of the June Bank holiday weekend.

Amber Thursday is supported by Fingal County Council and other Local Authorities throughout Ireland, the Chief Fire Officers Association, Road Safety Authority, Water Safety Ireland and Local Authority Road Safety Officers.

Further information can be found at amberthursday.ie