Working smoke alarms do save lives
The Department for Communities and Local Government today launched a campaign to raise awareness of fire safety issues within Asian communities. The campaign, which launches just before the festive seasons of Diwali and Eid, aims to ensure that Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Muslim communities celebrating the festivals do so safely.
Candle fires increase by over a third during the Diwali period and over 20 percent of deaths caused by candles occur at this time. National statistics show five fires are caused by candles in the home every day DCLG Fire Statistics UK, 2004.
The celebrations all involve an increased amount of cooking and entertaining in the home. National statistics indicate the heightened risk of fire within the kitchen DCLG Fire Statistics UK, 2004. Nearly 57 percent of all fires in the home are caused by cooking accidents and there are 20 fat pan fires every day in the UK.
County Fire Officer, William Brown said:
“It is ironic and tragic that during periods of celebration there is a dramatic increase in the number of fires amongst many communities. It’s not only Diwali and Eid, but we also see an increase at Christmas – it’s often that safety comes second to celebration. Thiscampaign aims to make communities more aware of their surroundings and ensure that they are actively thinking about fire safety in the home.”
“By taking just a few simple precautions you can greatly reduce the risks for yourself and your family. I would especially urge the celebrating communities to ensure they have a working smoke alarm installed on every floor of their home.”
The campaign which will include press and radio advertising, as well as greetings cards and posters carrying safety messages, will begin in mid-October 2006 and will be supported by community activity across England by individual fire and rescue services.
Today’s announcement complements other fire safety work undertaken by the DCLG and the fire and rescue service and supports the Government’s mainstream ‘Smoke Alarm Maintenance’ campaign, running concurrently.