AA joins forces with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service to help drivers locked out of their cars

The initiative is the brainchild of South Wales AA patrol, Steve Noel, and involves regular coaching sessions on how to enter a locked vehicle, quickly and safely.

Steve introduces firefighters to innovative ways of entering locked vehicles with a reduced risk of damage when compared to other techniques that can sometimes lead to vehicle damage, such as broken windows and damaged bodywork.

Steve came up with the idea when he was helping an AA member in a local car park and noticed a team of MAWWFRS firefighters attending a call to a child locked in a vehicle nearby.

With the blessing of the AA member, Steve rushed over to help, and successfully retrieved the vehicle keys without causing any damage to the vehicle and leaving the child back in the safety of its parent’s welcoming arms.

He saw this event as an opportunity to help further, particularly with the current cost-of-living crisis where any unexpected cost can make a huge difference to family budgets.

He has used his spare time to develop coaching sessions and delivers them to firefighters at Earlswood Fire Service Training Centre, Swansea.

Wayne Short, AA Performance Leader, said: “We’re really proud of Steve’s commitment to this cause. Young children are fascinated with car keys. If you’re busy loading the car, it might be tempting to let them play with your keys to keep them occupied. But there’s a big chance they could end up locked in.

“Central locking means it’s all too easy for little fingers to accidentally push the button and lock the car from the inside. The same thing can happen if keys are left on a seat and a pet stands on the lock button of the keys.

“Our roadside patrols go out to so many incidents – more than 1700 in 2021 – where they find a distraught member whose child or pet is locked in the car.

“Avoid the potential for disaster by always keeping your car keys with you. If your car does lock accidentally, you can unlock it again quickly.”

Stuart Bate, MAWWFRS Deputy Divisional Commander, said: “Steve’s initiative, backed by his local managers at the AA, has been well received by our Fire and Rescue teams.

“Our crews are experts when it comes to protecting people and property and they have a real hunger to extend their knowledge even further, so when we received the offer from Steve and the AA, we grabbed it with both hands.

“The format of the sessions fits perfectly with our ongoing training requirements, so it’s a win-win for us, and for the broader public.

“The sessions we’ve held so far have been extremely insightful and highlight how both of our organisations have the people that we serve at the forefront of our minds.

“We’re really excited to see the new practices and the equipment that has been donated in action. We thank Steve and the AA team for making this happen and we hope this will be a long and rewarding relationship.”