Progressive Supports Fire Safety – Not Fireworks

3 November 2008

Progressive Supports Fire Safety – Not Fireworks

Rather than sell fireworks, Progressive Enterprises is teaming up with the New Zealand Fire Service to improve fire awareness.

This follows on from a decision taken after last year’s Guy Fawkes Day by Progressive Managing Director Peter Smith.

“We have supported the safe use of fireworks in the community. But unfortunately, children and animals continue to be injured and distressed each year on Guy Fawkes Day. We believe the safety risks associated with the private use of fireworks outweigh the benefits, so we won’t be selling them in our Countdown, Woolworths and Foodtown supermarkets,” Mr Smith said.

Progressive initially considered supporting public fireworks displays. But after chatting with Fire Service National Commander Mike Hall, “We decided that we would rather support fire safety throughout the year than fireworks on a single night,” Mr Smith said.

Progressive supermarkets plan to support the Fire Services’ twice yearly Daylight Savings awareness campaigns. The idea is to have special in-store smoke alarm/battery displays where a percentage of the money from products sold will go towards the purchase of smoke alarms that the Fire Service would distribute to ‘at risk’ communities. Details about other fire awareness initiatives are being finalised.

National Fire Service Commander Mike Hall says: “Peter and I have talked about starting the relationship small, and building it over time. When you consider that over 2.5 million New Zealanders shop at a Progressive supermarket each week, you can see just how great the potential exposure to fire safety messages can be. There are three main causes of fire – men, women and children. And any opportunity we have to highlight fire safety to them is one we will gratefully take.”

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