By RICHARD LIRON, Jersey Fire Service Community Fire Safety Officer
DRIVING DOWN THE RISK – Not Your Luck !
Jersey’s Fire & Rescue Service have reported that out of all of the house fires they attended last year, 73% of the properties involved had smoke alarms fitted – this figure would be very encouraging, but sadly, almost 22% of these detectors failed to raise the alarm as they no longer worked.
Every year, Jersey’s Fire Crews conduct approximately 200 ‘home fire safety visits’ and by the end of each year, the Fire and Rescue Service provide an average of 250 smoke alarms free of charge, the majority of which are fitted by the Fire Crews themselves.
The Fire and Rescue Service has been proactively promoting ‘home fire-safety’ for many years; the Service first started to fit free smoke alarms in people’s homes in 1998. Jersey Fire and Rescue remains committed to its proactive approach and it’s evident that the service’s strategy is bearing fruit: Since 2006, there has been a steady overall decline in the number of house fires in Jersey; even more rewarding is the fact that 2011 saw the lowest number of injuries caused by fire in the same period.
However, it’s now becoming evident that there are a growing number of householders who are living with a
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false sense of security as they are failing to test their smoke alarms regularly.
The safety messages are very simple:
A working smoke alarm will wake you up during the very early stages of a fire; it will give you the time you need to escape without getting hurt. Test your smoke alarm weekly.
Taking some time ‘now’ to think about what you would do if a fire started in your home, and how you would get help, could prove to be the smartest thing you ever do.
If you think that a heater or any other electrical device might be faulty, for whatever reason, stop using it immediately!
Are you concerned about elderly relatives or vulnerable neighbours? Maybe the Fire & Rescue Service can help – Remember, Jersey Fire and Rescue can provide free home fire safety visits and smoke alarms for those considered to be at risk – Call 445933 to arrange a visit.
It’s said that ‘fire starts when your attention stops’ – ‘Alcohol is a major contributory factor in instances of
fire deaths and injuries’ – take extra care!
If a fire does break out in the home, GET OUT, STAY OUT AND CALL 999.
Widening the Fire-Safety net! Targeting ‘home fire safety’ certainly has produced the desired results; however, to drive down the total number of fires that Jersey Fire & Rescue deal with each year, the service has also been widening its focus to include the ‘workplace’.
These days, in addition to educating people to make sure they are safe and sound at home, the Fire and Rescue Service has also been providing training to make sure you stay safe from fire at work too. Each year the service conducts over 100 Workplace Fire-Safety training sessions; with approximately 12 local employees per session, it’s easy to see that those in Jersey’s workforce are steadily becoming
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