Fire and Rescue Stations to trial ‘Safe Havens’ hotlines

Tredegar and Cardiff Central Fire and Rescue Stations become the first stations to trial the Safe Haven 999 hotline buttons, in a further expansion of the Safe Havens initiative. 

On the 25th of November 2021, Fire and Rescue Stations across South Wales became designated Safe Havens for members of the public. As a Safe Haven, any member of the public who is in imminent danger can attend one of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service stations for help. 

In an expansion of the initiative, two stations have recently been fitted with a 999-hotline button box that notify our Joint Fire Control, to further support the most vulnerable members of our communities. 

Both Tredegar and Cardiff Central Fire and Rescue Stations have been fitted with these systems, a 999 hotline for anyone who is in immediate risk. This means that regardless of whether the station is an On-Call one, or is always staffed with full-time Firefighters, any person who feels unsafe can attend those stations and push the 999 button, or dial 999 if there is no crew present at the time. Every Station has prominent signage on display, so passers-by know what to do in a vulnerable and dangerous situation.  

Head of Risk Reduction and Area Manager Jason Evans from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: 

“Any member of the public can utilise the Safe Havens function on one of our 47 Fire and Rescue Stations if they feel unsafe in any situation. 

Crews are equipped to support those in need, and we are working closely with our colleagues in Gwent Police and South Wales Police to prioritise a rapid response to an immediate threat to individuals. The 999 hotline is a further expansion of Safe Havens and if successful, this will be rolled out to more stations across the Service. 

We have seen a handful of positive actions with the Safe Havens project since its launch, including being able to signpost a homeless male for dedicated support, and alerting the police to a female fleeing domestic abuse, and we will continue to do everything we can to support the communities we serve.” 

For a full list of fire Stations across South Wales please visit: https://www.southwales-fire.gov.uk/#stationsMap