Don't give fire a home
The Don't Give Fire a Home campaign aims to raise awareness of the likelihood of domestic fire and its associated dangers.
Four out of five Scots believe they are not at risk of fire but the reality is that there were 6,972 dwelling fires in 2006. It's important we are all aware of the potential causes of fire in the home and take action to ensure our homes are properly protected.
Its common knowledge that the best way to protect yourself from fire is to have a smoke alarm installed in your home, but how often do you check your alarm actually works? New research highlights that only 15 per cent of Scots check their smoke alarms weekly - the frequency recommended by the fire and rescue service - and so the majority of people may be putting their homes and families at risk as a result.
Scotland continues to have the highest number of fire injuries per capita in the UK. Although the number of fire fatalities fell to 45 in 2006-07, the lack of a working smoke alarm was a factor in around half of these incidents.
As a result, Scottish fire chiefs have renewed their warning that people should be aware of the fire risks in the home, ensure they have adequate fire protection in place and not be complacent when cooking, smoking or using electrical equipment, particularly when under the influence of alcohol.
The best way for people to make sure they're doing everything they can to safeguard their homes is to request a free home fire safety visit from their local fire and rescue service. The visits, carried out as part of the services’ commitment to ensuring the safety of communities, only take around twenty minutes and involve fire fighters checking the home for hazards, providing practical advice on fire safety and fitting ten-year smoke alarms.
To date over 100,000 people have taken up the offer of the free fire consultation, either for themselves, a friend or a relative, resulting in one in twenty homes in Scotland now being better protected.
To request a home fire safety visit, text FIRE to 61611 to arrange an appointment. Further information and advice on fire safety is available via www.dontgivefireahome.com which provides advice on what to do in the event of a fire breaking out and includes an interactive 'risk scanner' to help people find and fix fire hazards in the home.
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Comments
I think the problem is people just don't know they can get these alarms free. It is imperative that the local fire officers are given enough support to get the message out that they offer this service.The more people know about it the more lives will be saved.
Alex
With free smoke alarms available I can't believe that some people still don't bother fitting them.Aaron