It's not everyday that you get a visit from your local fire safety team requesting an amplifier (and audio installation advice) for their brand spanking new VW T5 pimped with an array of audio parts and gadgets galore!
Well that's exactly what happened a couple of months ago and the air certainly was ‘ablaze’ with excitement on this one! (Apologies for that singular fire-related pun - we promise that was the only one...)
The Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service Community Safety Vehicle is an exciting and intersting concept; one which we haven't seen anything like previously. Technician Lawrence Rayment came to the MC² factory to demo the system, and to explain to us about the background and main aims of the project. He states:
"Road safety is a challenge for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service as it has one of the largest networks of rural roads in the UK. However we are committed to reducing the numbers of road traffic collisions by using two main tools, Engagement and Education. The T5 Transporter project was conceived with the aim of reaching out to the public with our road safety campaigns.
"Road safety is a challenge for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service as it has one of the largest networks of rural roads in the UK. However we are committed to reducing the numbers of road traffic collisions by using two main tools, Engagement and Education. The T5 Transporter project was conceived with the aim of reaching out to the public with our road safety campaigns.
Young drivers have been notoriously hard to reach and the van’s objective is to encourage young drivers to talk to us by having a common point of interest. The modified T5 makes it easier to talk to them about the potential dangers they face when driving.
Changing the way this group behave is a difficult challenge, but by working with them in a way they want to be involved is a big step forward in having an impact on their driving behaviour. The T5 allows us to speak to all young drivers especially those who are particularly interested in modifying their own vehicles. All staff that work with the vehicle have had specialist training in how to use the equipment, understand the messages that the project wants to get across and how to work with this target audience ensuring the education packages are delivered consistently.
In specific terms of delivery, the T5 has a rear facing wide screen TV which is used to present Road Safety videos.
Occasionally it is used in conjunction with an onboard Xbox 360 console that has driving simulation software used for working with young people. We use a Shure Wireless microphone with the audio system to turn our vehicle into a mobile PA system providing a commentary when demonstrating vehicle extrications by our fire crews. The rear facing speakers are driven by an MC2 T4-250 Power Amplifier that enables us to deliver our road safety presentations in wide open public places."
Occasionally it is used in conjunction with an onboard Xbox 360 console that has driving simulation software used for working with young people. We use a Shure Wireless microphone with the audio system to turn our vehicle into a mobile PA system providing a commentary when demonstrating vehicle extrications by our fire crews. The rear facing speakers are driven by an MC2 T4-250 Power Amplifier that enables us to deliver our road safety presentations in wide open public places."
Now I bet you’re all thinking “How is this powered?” Well... It can be run from an external mains source/generator, or by running an inverter on the leisure battery! All in all this makes the whole project accessible in a number of different surroundings/environments.
We have loved this project from concept to completion, as it’s a really motivating and forward-thinking way to raise awareness of road safety, and it definately engaged us all at the factory – we were very happy to be a part of it and were glad that we were able to support the charity in supplying an amplifier. We look forward to hearing of its success in the coming months.
For further information/enquires please contact:
Service Headquarters
The Knowle
Clyst St George
Exeter
EX3 0NW
http://www.dsfire.gov.uk
01392 872 200 (24 hours)
