Fire and Rescue Service Free Home Fire Safety Check

This is a message from Northamptonshire Police to all members of Neighbourhood Watch.


Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) has been invited, by the Fire Service, to assist in their Home Security Programme. Each of the seven Neighbourhood Watch Management Support Teams (MSTs) has been given 50 smoke alarms to give away on a first come first served basis to members of NHW who are thought to be at the greatest risk. The Fire Service has also offered any member of NHW a free home fire safety check.

If you would like to request a smoke alarm and/or a fire safety check you will need to contact your Street Representative. See List on this Site.
Volunteers
The Fire Service is also looking for volunteers who will be trained to implement Home Fire Safety Checks (HFSC). Although this will be on a voluntary basis, Neighbourhood Watch will receive a small amount of funding relative to the number of volunteers/checks introduced via Northamptonshire NHW. This will be of great value in helping the funding of any future projects.
Volunteers who wish to be trained should contact their Street Representative (See List on this Site)
Please see below article which has been put together to explain why this voluntary work is so important.
Over the past five years Northamptonshire has had 14 fire-related fatalities and 176 injuries to residents caused by fires.
In 2009 - 2010 Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service (NFRS) attended a total of 3036 fires, including 411 accidental dwelling fires and 71 dwelling fires where the fire had been started deliberately. Of the 411 accidental dwelling fires NFRS attended in 2009 - 2010, only 151 had working smoke detectors and 17 had smoke detectors which were missing their batteries.
The Fire Service aims to continue to reduce the number of fires occurring, and reduce the number of fatal and non-fatal casualties in accidental and deliberate dwelling fires. NFRS is continuing to invest in prevention and community work in order to educate the public about key fire safety messages to prevent fires occurring, what to do if a fire does start, and the importance of having working smoke detectors.
The Home Fire Safety Check (HFSC) programme and other preventative measures play an important part in reducing the number of accidental dwelling fires. HFSC involves going into domestic residences, giving home fire safety advice, and fitting smoke detectors free-of-charge to properties which currently do not have smoke detectors.
Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service would like to work in partnership with Neighbourhood Watch to drive down the number of fires started, and help educate and protect local communities, by training Neighbourhood Watch volunteers to carry-out HFSCs in their local communities.
NFRS thought of Neighbourhood Watch because Neighbourhood Watch works with some of the most vulnerable members of the community who, as well as being likely to be at risk from crime, are likely to be at risk from fire. NFRS has a close relationship with the Police and has learnt from them how experienced, safety-conscious, community-minded Neighbourhood Watch volunteers are.
NFRS would provide the following for all Neighbourhood Watch volunteers who are interested in participating
Ø Ø Full training with an experienced fire fighter
Ø Ø All equipment needed
Ø Ø Smoke detectors
Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service will also donate a small amount of money per HFSC carried out to Neighbourhood Watch for continued investment in crime prevention activities.

WB/CMS/1878/10.
Thank you