Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 11/01/2012 09:02

A partnership between Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) and Coastline Housing has seen over 800 tenants given tips on how to keep their homes safe from fire.

By teaming up with Coastline, firefighters have trained maintenance and housing staff to deliver Home Fire Safety Checks as part of their standard inspections of Coastline Housing properties.

Since the scheme began in January last year, 842 tenants of the housing association’s 3,800 properties have received visits.

One Coastline Housing tenant who received a Home Fire Safety Check as a result of the partnership is Sandra Richards from Camborne. To celebrate the success of the scheme, Sandra was the lucky recipient of a hamper from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service.

During the visits to local homes Coastline staff discuss fire safety issues with tenants and provide information and leaflets. The most at risk tenants are referred on to CFRS staff who revisit the home to provide more specific help and advice.

Station Manager David Carlisle from CFRS said: “This partnership is one that has great benefits for members of our community. We are always on hand to tackle fires, but where possible we want to prevent them from happening in the first place.

“The best way we can do this is through our Home Fire Safety Checks which aim to make people aware of potential fire hazards in the home and give advice on how they can best protect themselves and their loved ones.”

Mark England, Coastline Housing’s Head of Technical Services, added: “This is a fantastic project that has been positively embraced by both customers and staff. Staff have been able to incorporate the Home Fire Safety Checks into their daily work when visiting customers. We are committed to improving the safety of our customers in their own homes and will therefore continue to develop this important relationship with CFRS.”

For more information on fire safety contact Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service on 0800 358 1999 or visit www.cornwall.gov.uk/fire.