BRIAN ROLLITT - Volunteer

Brian dedicates so much of his personal time to his local community via Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service it is truly commendable.   His enthusiastic personality encourages not only himself but others to go that extra mile all of the time.   

He has played an active part of the decision making that has brought about the 'New Beginnings' that Kendal locality have found in their small but very active and successful team of volunteers!   In between working full time for Cumbria County Council and assisting his local area in many different ways, he is one of Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service's most committed volunteers who has taken part in many different activities not only in Kendal but in many parts of the Lake District where he lives himself.   It is a real two-way mutually beneficial partnership between Brian and Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service.   

He is a committed volunteer but he looks for opportunities to expand the initiatives he has been involved in and is always keen to be involved in other opportunities that arise such as: 

• delivering meals to vulnerable people during bad weather in isolated areas 
• in assisting with multi-agency Streetsafe events 
• in delivering home fire safety visits in his small rural town   
• assisting with the first Young Firefighters programme delivered at Kendal Fire Station
• attending large community events raising awareness of our fire safety messages and promoting community volunteers for Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service 
• delivery of Heartstart training to local community groups which also enabled him to gain lots of referrals for Home Fire Safety Visits 

Brian's outgoing personality enables him to get on with people easily and so found himself in great demand not long after joining Kendal volunteers team and is kept very busy with suggestions from the Watch Manager for various projects he can assist with and also he has accompanied local retained community firefighters and supports the Advocates in delivering their services to the community.   

Brian's local knowledge of his area has been most useful when Home Fire Safety Visits have been required in his village which he is always willing to assist with and can be regularly seen out and about chatting to his neighbours and checking they have got all the information they need in connection with community safety and Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service.  

To promote and raise awareness of the appalling number of young driver deaths across Cumbria, bereaved parent - Lynette Francis teamed up with and now works for Safer Roads for Cumbria and Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service delivering Road Awareness Training to Young Drivers.  Lynette's son Mark was killed whilst travelling as a passenger in his own car whilst it was being driven by his best friend.  

Lynette speaks of the devastation it caused herself and her family.  Lynette says: I am willing to talk about my experience to help others avoid what my family and I have been through, I hope that by teaching Young People the consequences of speeding, drink and drug driving and not belting up, I can make a difference to Road Safety in Cumbria.