It takes years to build up memories - and just seconds for them to go up in flames. That's the warning from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service in a new campaign aimed at making people over 60 in Sunderland safer from fire.
Statistics* from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service show that you are more than twice as likely to be killed or injured in an accidental house fire in Tyne and Wear if you are over the age of 60, with fires starting in the kitchen being the biggest cause of fires.
Called 'It takes seconds', the new campaign has launched in Sunderland. It aims to make people over 60 safer from fire through a range of activities, including home visits by Community Fire Safety Officers who will be offering free home safety checks.
One Sunderland resident has already benefitted from a home safety check and is urging others to take up the free offer.
Mr Gaze, 63, from Hall Farm in Sunderland said: "We read about the campaign and thought it was a really good thing to get done. I've never had a home safety check before and it's definitely made me feel safer at home. The fire and rescue service fitted two smoke alarms and gave me lots of tips on keeping safer from fire and making sure I have a good bedtime routine, like closing all the doors and making sure we've got an escape plan in place should a fire break out. We are also getting rid of our chip pan and replacing it for a thermostatically controlled deep fat fryer."
Another Sunderland resident Marion Austin-Davies, 62, from Houghton, who has also recently had a home safety check, says: “It made me step back and think about how I can prevent a fire in my home. The fire safety officers gave me lots of useful advice. Since they came round, every night I make sure I shut all the internal doors in my house and switch off everything except the fridge and freezer before I go to bed. I also make sure my window and door keys are handy in case I need to escape.”
Home safety checks include providing fire safety advice, advising on the best escape plan if a fire does break out, fitting smoke alarms and providing practical suggestions on how to ensure fire safety is part of your daily routine. This includes closing doors at bedtime to reduce the spread of fire, ensuring electrical appliances are properly switched off, never leaving cooking unattended and making sure cigarettes are safely extinguished and disposed of.
Community Fire Safety Officers will be wearing uniform and carrying photographic ID badges. Northumbria Police is also working in partnership with the fire and rescue service throughout the campaign and Police Community Support Officers will be accompanying fire officers on their visits to offer residents advice on bogus callers.
Area Manager for Community Safety, John Baines, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Everyone has a right to be safe in their own home. Fire costs lives and families can be devastated when a loved one dies or their home is destroyed. Many of their possessions and their memories cannot be replaced.
"Everyone is at risk of having a fire in their home but older people are more vulnerable than most which is why we're appealing to people over 60 to let us help make them safer. They can prevent tragedies happening by adopting simple safety measures. Home safety checks are free and quick to carry out. It takes our Community Fire Safety Officers just 20 minutes to complete and it's time well worth spending when you consider how quickly fire can take hold and devastate lives."
Neighbourhood Inspector Cheryl Warcup said: "We're delighted to be working alongside our partners at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and to be able to support this campaign.
"Officers from Sunderland will be joining the Fire Service to offer crime prevention advice and answer any concerns residents have about crime and disorder in their area.
"We're always looking at new ways in which we can positively engage with members of the community and working with the Fire Service is giving us a fantastic opportunity to reassure residents and let them know what police are doing to make their area even safer."
As well as visiting people over 60, the fire and rescue service is distributing posters to shops, post offices, GP surgeries and Sunderland Royal Hospital to highlight the campaign. The fire and rescue service is also working with partners like Age Concern and other support agencies to make sure that as many people over 60 receive vital lifesaving advice.
Here are the top five ways to keep safer from fire:
1. Get smoke alarms fitted in your home and test them weekly.
2. Plan your escape route in the event of a fire.
3. Switch off electrical appliances at night.
4. Never leave cooking unattended.
5. Ensure that you fully extinguish any cigarettes and tap your ash into an ashtray, never a waste basket containing other rubbish.
If you or someone you know is over 60 and would like a free home safety check, call freephone 0800 032 7777 or visit www.twfire.gov.uk. Always remember that Tyne and Wear Community Fire Safety Officers will be in uniform and carry photographic identity cards. If anyone has any doubts, they should phone Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service on 0191 444 1500. Fire Safety Officers are happy to be asked to prove their identity.
|
|
|