Details of Meeting held on 19 September 2013

A fascinating insight into police community safety projects was given by Past President Ian Fowler in his talk to the Rotary Club of South Queensferry on Thursday19th September.

In 1990, as Chief Inspector at Drylaw Police Station, Ian was asked to lead a pilot youth initiative in conjunction with Crime Concern Scotland aimed at promoting safety to Primary 7 children across the Lothian education area. In addition to Lothian and Borders Police, Ian recruited experts from the Fire and Ambulance services, Scottish Power, British Telecom and British Rail as well as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Eight scenarios were devised depicting various dangerous and emergency situations which might confront children in daily life. Space was donated by a Leith storage company and Ian and his team converted the yard into a series of zones in which visiting school parties would have to react to an unconscious woman. Had she simply fallen from the ladder or had she been electrocuted when changing a light bulb? A kite was caught on cables above an electricity sub station whose gate was invitingly open. Children found themselves on a railway line where a train had been vandalised. An enclosed room began to fill with smoke. In each case the youngsters were required to raise the alarm and seek help from appropriate adults. Not all adults were appropriate, however. One broke into a car and another tried to entice them away on the pretext of seeing his dog. Of course expert advice and assistance was always at hand. Mock-up fire and ambulance service control rooms showed how professionals dealt with emergencies. As the pilot drew to a close and was rolled out across all police divisions, Ian and his team were visited by the Princess Royal who congratulated them on their initiative. A lasting legacy of Ian's work is to bee seen in 'The Risk Factory' - a permanent undercover site in Newmarket Road, Edinburgh where full-time staff teach safety to groups ranging from school pupils to senior citizens using scenarios pioneered in a Leith storage yard many years ago.

Following Ian's talk, which was very well received, Treasurer Lorna Prentice announced that the remaining tranche of  funds raised at this year's Forth Bridge Abseil (