Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 23/02/2009 13:53

Cornwall County Fire Brigade is continuing its activity during Kitchen Safety Month by teaming up with Eatsome, the project that helps promote healthy eating across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

February is Cornwall County Fire Brigade’s Kitchen Safety month, with the service going out into the community to teach kitchen safety based around events such as National Chip Week, Valentine’s Day and Shrove Tuesday. In Cornwall, in the period between April 2005 and April 2008, over half of all dwelling fires started in the kitchen, with over 70% of these being attributed to a cooking appliance such as chip pan or grill.

Station Manager at Bodmin, Kath Billing, explains, “I approached Eatsome as there is a natural link between our messages and theirs during National Chip Week – swap the chip pan for healthy, home made oven chips. That way, there is less risk of fire and of course a benefit to your health and wellbeing!”

County wide, the brigade is now promoting Eatsome’s work and message, which is to promote healthy eating and aim to improve diet and lifestyle all across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Justin Sharpe, Station Manager St Austell, Richard Gibbons, Station Officer Camborne, Kath Billing, Station Manager Bodmin and Dave Carlisle Community Safety Officer were all put through their cooking paces during a workshop at Eatsome to learn how to make healthy and tasty oven chips from scratch which will then be passed to the public through kitchen safety demonstrations this week.

Speaking of the initiative, Chief Fire Officer Terry Standing says, “It’s great to see the service working alongside other agencies within Cornwall to promote not only safety messages, but messages of health and wellbeing as well. I hope that the public learn something from attending the service’s kitchen safety demonstrations this week - not just how to be safe but how to be healthy.”

Related item: http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=45872#chips