Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 05/12/2011 10:27

After a spate of automatic fire alarm calls from residents in sheltered accommodation or residential care homes, Red Watch at Falmouth Community Fire Station has come up with a novel idea to help remind elderly residents that they have cooking on the go.

A cooking timer will be offered to those in sheltered accommodation which they will be able to take with them if they leave the kitchen and which will remind them when their cooking needs their attention.

Martin Mellor from Red Watch at Falmouth Community Fire Station says: “In most cases the automatic fire alarm has gone off because of burning food giving off smoke and fumes. In the majority of instances it was because residents had forgotten that they were cooking something, or they had fallen asleep. By offering the cooking timer, we believe that the majority of this type of false alarm could easily be prevented. Not only could the timer save residents from the possibility of being overcome by cooking fumes which could have very serious consequences, but it would also reduce the number of times that fire appliances are mobilised to these types of incidents as the timer would wake them before they burnt their meal.”

A number of residents in the Falmouth area stand to benefit from this new scheme including the residents of Chy Nampara, St Johns Court and Tregaer Flats.

Funding for the timers has come from Falmouth Town Council and from local Cornwall Council member David Saunby’s Community Grant fund.

Councillor Geoffrey Evans says: “Falmouth Town Council gave a grant for £400 which they thought was a well worth cause that could save lives and the Fire Service time and money.”

Cllr Saunby says: “I believe this is a good idea which would help prevent fire and fume incidents in the home, and I am happy to donate £200 from my Community Grant Fund towards the project.”

CFRS Chief Fire Officer Des Tidbury said: “Yet again this shows that our Community Fire Stations are well in tune with what is happening in their local area. Watch Manager Martin Mellor and his crew have recognised a particular risk in the Falmouth area and, with the assistance of our partners at the Town Council and elected Members, have delivered a practical initiative to not only protect local people but also to reduce the number of unnecessary call outs.”

Cornwall Council portfolio holder for community safety and public protection Lance Kennedy said: “I want to applaud and congratulate all concerned on yet another example of Cornwall Council's Fire And Rescue Service understanding and supporting the needs of the local community”.

Martin adds: “In this pilot, around 350 timers with a special Timely Action logo on them designed for us by Premier Signs, Redruth, will be distributed. We hope that if the scheme proves to be successful we can roll it out across Cornwall.”