Click here to see the parking leaflet produced by the emergency services.

9 December 2008

Firefighters answering a 999 call to a fire in a flat last night were delayed because they couldn’t get past parked cars.

Two crews from Aylesbury Fire Station were called to the incident in Victoria Street, Aylesbury, at 10.10pm.

They had to stop and ask residents to move their cars before they were able to reach the flat.

Fortunately the fire, which started in the kitchen, did not develop into a larger incident. But firefighters are concerned that delays caused by parking congestion could one day lead to far more serious consequences.

Crew Manager John Roads from Aylesbury Fire Station said: “We were held up for four or five minutes. This sort of delay can mean the difference between the emergency services saving a life or not.

“Cars may be able to pass down streets which have restricted access due to double parking or incorrect parking, but fire engines and ambulances can’t.

“We are urging residents to think about their parking as they could be putting the lives of their families, friends and neighbours at risk.”

Firefighters attached leaflets to cars in Victoria Street and Grecian Street after the incident, explaining that fire engines need 10ft (3m) clearance to pass safely, and that streets congested with parked cars can delay fire engines and other emergency service vehicles answering calls for help.

The leaflet was produced jointly by Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, Thames Valley Police and South Central Ambulance Service.

Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service’s road safety manager Keith Wheeler said: “Many streets were not designed to accommodate the number of cars that residents want to park in them. This leaflet will help stations try to tackle the problem of inappropriate parking in their local streets.

“The leaflet, which we attach to vehicles in a clear plastic pouch, supports the work of many Neighbourhood Action Groups who have highlighted parking problems as an issue of local concern.”