QR codes installed on Berkshire life buoys to aid emergency responders

QR codes are being installed on life buoy cases by the Royal Borough’s waterways to help pinpoint locations in the event of an emergency.

As well as helping to save time for emergency responders if someone is in trouble in the water, they can also make it easier to report missing or vandalised equipment.

The codes will be found in the casing of life buoys along the Thames as well as some lakes with landowner permission.

Councillor Simon Werner, the council leader and cabinet member for community partnerships, public protection, and Maidenhead, said:

“This is a great initiative by our community wardens who know our area well.

“They have realised there could be an issue in an emergency with getting assistance quickly and have come up with a practical solution.

“The advice is not to go into open bodies of water, even on the hottest days, but if you witness an emergency then you can get the location information to responders more quickly. In emergency situations, those precious seconds or minutes might well save a life.”

In addition, community wardens have been given throw lines to include in their regular kit and are checking the life buoys to ensure they are ready for use.

Community Warden Peter Murkin said:

“We have been going out and checking all the buoys to make sure they are all intact and ready to be lifesavers in an emergency.

“We have been to some quite remote locations during our checks, some well away from roads, and it became obvious we needed to help people know where they physically were in case they needed to tell the emergency services about someone in trouble in the water.

“We are now placing the QR codes alongside emergency service advice so if there is a terrible situation, relaying information about where you are does not hinder getting help.”

The community wardens are working alongside police and fire & rescue services to raise awareness of risks posed by entering open water.

Last year saw more rescues in the Royal Borough than in any other local authority in Berkshire.

The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service carried out 36 water rescues – a rise of 50 per cent from the previous two years.

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