Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

n/a at 02/09/2

‘MAKING A FIRE ACTION PLAN COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE’ – this is the strong message from Cornwall County Fire Brigade during this year’s Community Fire Safety Week which is being staged from Monday, September 2nd to Sunday, September 8th.

Organised by National Community Fire Safety Centre, the aim of the campaign is to promote fire safety, both in the home and in work place.
The great majority of deaths and injuries from fire happen in the home – more than 450 deaths and 14,400 injuries last year – with the majority of these preventable.

The theme of year’s campaign is the need for families to draw up and rehearse their own fire action plans to ensure they know what to do in case of fire in their homes.

“Research shows that some people who have smoke alarms would not know what to do if their alarm went off in the middle of the night” said Chief Fire Officer Mick Howell “Obviously we will continue to emphasise the importance of smoke alarms in saving lives, but we also want to encourage families to draw up Fire Plans so that everyone has an identified escape route and has rehearsed that escape route “.

This could mean the difference between life and death. “.
Fire Safety Officers advise that the following factors should be taken into account when drawing up a Fire Action Plan :
· Make the fire action plan with everyone in the household, especially children and elderly or disabled people.
· The best escape route is the normal way in and out of the home.
· Tell everyone in the household where the door and window keys are kept.
· If the escape route is blocked it may be safer to stay in the home and protect yourself until the Fire Brigade arrives.

Local fire stations will be distributing leaflets giving information on fire plans and smoke alarms and the Brigade is also running a competition in conjunction with BBC Radio Cornwall.

“From Monday to Friday 10 members of the public will be able to win a smoke alarm if they correctly answer a fire safety related question broadcast on Radio Cornwall’s lunchtime programme “ said Divisional Officer Chris Rickett .

“ We have also been given a daily five minute slot to talk about a variety of fire safety topics. “.

As well as escape plans and smoke alarms, the topics will include arson which is now the largest single cause of major fires in the UK. Since 1989 there have been 1.8 million arson fires, resulting in 22,000 injuries and 1,000 deaths.

“Arson is a major problem in the UK – with 3,600 deliberately started fires in an average week – resulting in 60 injuries and 2 deaths and costing more than £40 million”. said Chris Rickett.
“In Cornwall we are making a stand against the arsonist and have set up the Arson Task Force, a combined scheme incorporating the Cornwall County Fire Brigade, Devon Fire and Rescue Service, Devon and Cornwall Police and the Isles of Scilly Fire Brigade. They are assisted by fire investigators, scenes of crime offices, scientific advisors and two hydrocarbon detector dogs”.

“ALL fires which are suspected as arson are investigated, from the smallest rubbish fire to the multi million £ fire . Our aim is to reduce the number of arson fires and increase the detection rate and we are calling on the public to help us achieve this”.

Related item: http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/fire/fsafety/fs01d.htm