Safe Highlanders

Just under 2,000 Primary 7 pupils from schools within the Inverness area will be heading to the Cameron Barracks, Inverness, at different times over an eight-day period to take part in a community safety project aimed at making them Safe Highlanders.

During their day-long immersion in staying safe, the youngsters will get their chance to experience a number of potentially hazardous situations, allowing them to participate in a range of simulated practical exercises. 

The aims of Safe Highlander programme, which runs from 13 – 22 May, are to enable the children to:

At each of the nine sets, children are encouraged to participate in the activity.   For instance, at the water safety set presented by HM Coastguard Search and Rescue Officers of the Maritime Coastguard Agency, children are asked in what way they would save one of their peers, who, in the demonstration, has "fallen into the water".  They are invited to "rescue" him/her and through participative instruction learn the correct procedure to follow without compromising their own safety.  Thus the scheme is based on the principle of learning by doing.

The agencies currently involved are British Red Cross; British Transport Police; Construction Industry Training Board and Institute of Safety & Health; Health & Safety Executive; Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service; Highland Drug and Alcohol Forum; Maritime and Coastguard Agency; Northern Constabulary; Scottish Hydro-Electric.

The Highland Council and all the Partner Agencies would like to thank the volunteers who have signed up to escort pupils between the sets and pack the Safe Highlanders materials.