Firefighter puts the FIZZ into fire engine karaoke special

07 May 2018

Public, Home fire safety

Just in time for this year's Eurovision Song Contest (Saturday 12 May 2018), Cheryl Baker; one of the contest’s legends, has teamed up with a Kent firefighter for a fire engine sing-a-long film taking inspiration from Peter Kay’s ‘Car Share’ and James Corden’s ‘Carpool Karaoke’ but to raise awareness of home safety.

‘CAREPool Karaoke’ has been created by Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) to help raise the profile of their free ‘Safe and Well Visits’, which deliver and promote home safety; helping thousands of people across Kent and Medway live safer lives.

The light-hearted video features Cheryl Baker and firefighter Al Faulkner sitting in the back of a fire engine singing a few of Buck Fizz’s biggest hits, including ‘Land of Make Believe’ and ‘Making Your Mind Up’. The video, all done with tongue-in-cheek and plenty of laughter, sees Cheryl explain why she got involved with the project and decided to work with KFRS:

Cheryl said: “I think it’s absolutely brilliant that our fire service visits homes around Kent and Medway making sure people are safe, and that they have working smoke alarms; especially if they’re living with dementia, or if they have a disability. It’s brilliant. I don’t think the general public are aware of the visits, and that KFRS can help people like this - and that the visits are absolutely free.” 

Cheryl Baker in her firefighter PPE ready for CAREpool Karaoke

The film is a parody mix of Peter Kay’s Car Share; which returns to BBC One tonight (Monday 7 May), and James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke. ‘CAREpool Karaoke’ takes the same premise - two people heading to work, singing and chatting along the way, but the KFRS version is about Cheryl and Al driving to someone's home to help them feel safer, with a ‘Safe and Well Visit’.

Watch Manager Al Faulkner, who's based at the Kent and Medway Road Safety Experience in Rochester said: “When the idea was first pitched to me I immediately thought ‘how could I sing with Cheryl Baker? I’d be so nervous!’ - I clearly remember watching Cheryl and Bucks Fizz win the contest in 1981. But the nerves soon vanished - Cheryl was great, as you’d expect, and we soon struck up a friendship and we were away with the singing. It was great fun.”

He added: “We know so many people across Kent and Medway can and do benefit from one of our Safe and Well Visits, so to raise awareness in a fun but meaningful way, we hope will connect with people and encourage others to call us or to refer someone they know who would benefit from living a safer life.”

Assistant Director for Community Safety at KFRS, Ian Thomson said: “Working with Cheryl has been great and is reflected in ‘CAREpool Karaoke’ – it is brilliant fun. We hope it demonstrates the fun and humorous side of KFRS, but also and more importantly that the message about keeping people safe is really at the heart of what we do. Most of us never expect to have a fire in our homes but they can and do happen; as we’ve seen recently in places around our county. Over half of domestic fires we get called to start in the kitchen, but one of our ‘Safe and Well Visits’ can help people to be more aware of things around the home that pose a fire risk. A visit from our team can help reduce those risks, and we will fit smoke alarms for free where they’re needed.

Ian added: “We are asking everyone to think about people in their lives who could benefit from extra support; like their elderly parent, a friend with a baby or young child or a neighbour with mobility challenges. A free visit from KFRS could make such a difference to someone’s life and you’ll be helping to keep them safe.”

For free fire safety advice and to book a FREE Safe and Well Visit, please call KFRS on 0800 923 7000 or search ‘KFRS Safe and Well’. 

Cheryl Baker with KFRS driving instructor Dave Gunn in the fire engine