Crews from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) spoke to students at colleges and universities across the county and gave them a chance to take part in a quiz focused on road and fire safety.
The winner was University of Huddersfield student Fengyn Zai. In total 4,388 students entered the competition which looked at various safety messages, from wearing a seat belt to being careful around quiet electric vehicles and scooters.
The quiz highlighted the importance of water safety and to be careful when cooking after a night out. Fire crews spoke to students at Bradford College, Bradford University, Calderdale College, University of Huddersfield, Leeds Trinity University, Leeds University, Wakefield College, Castleford College, Selby College.
Fengyn Zai, who is studying for an English teaching qualification, said: “I was overjoyed when I found out I’d won the competition – the laptop will be really helpful with my studies.”
Assistant District Commander Adam Garvey said the competition was new for 2022, and something the service is keen to repeat. “This was an initiative from our road safety subgroup with the aim of improving the safety of young adults,” he said. “Talking with the students about a range of safety issues is important because, for many of them, it’s their first time away from home.
“In total the service spent 22 days working to engage with as many students as possible and ended up speaking with more than 4,000 young people. This attracted around 6,000 views to WYFRS’ social media channels.”
There were 334 entries made to the competition by students from the University of Huddersfield. The service is working in partnership with the School of Human and Health Sciences, and the university more widely on a series of projects and initiatives. Last year, WYFRS marked the first-ever International Paramedics Day with paramedic staff and students in a mock-up of a road traffic collision.
School Director of External Engagement Dr Leanne Monchuk said: “We are thrilled to have built a great mutually beneficial partnership with the fire service, and we are further developing this relationship through a series of exciting projects. Congratulations to Fengyn Zai on her win – I’m sure the laptop will be very useful during her next few years of study.”