North Warwickshire ‘Santa Safety Campaign’
Warwickshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service in partnership with Santa Claus is launching an initiative to highlight the dangers of house fires during the Christmas period.
As part of the campaign, North Warwickshire fire crews will be visiting shops, schools and shopping centres throughout the area, distributing posters, festive fire safety information and offering free ‘home fire safety check’ presents.
Santa said: “As part of my new health and safety drive, I will be taking a break from Christmas preparations to assist the fire crews in delivering this important fire safety message. I’m looking forward to riding the fire engine; it will make an exciting change from dashing around on my sleigh!”
WFRS Community Fire Safety Trailer, ‘Grotto’ will be located at the following venues:
Atherstone Town Centre: 8/12/09 - 10.00 am to 3.00 pm (outside Co-op store, Station Street, Atherstone)
Polesworth Town Centre: 9/12/09 - 10.00 am to 3.00 pm (based at Polesworth Fire Station, Polesworth)
Coleshill Town Centre: 16/12/09 - 10.00 am to 3.00 pm (Church Hill, Coleshill)
Crews will also be visiting shops throughout North Warwickshire putting up posters and talking to shoppers. The Community Fire Safety trailer will also be in town inviting residents to sign up for free home fire safety checks.
North Warwickshire Community Fire Safety Coordinator Andy Bates said: "Residents are at a higher risk of accidental house fires during Christmas than at any other time of the year. This is because people spend more time in their homes, often with additional family members or guests, adding more distractions when they are cooking or using electrical appliances.”
Increased fires risks can include:
Decorations which burn very easily
Christmas tree lights which haven’t been used for a year or might be faulty
Increased use of candles in the home
People leaving cooking unattended or cooking whilst under the influence of alcohol etc.
Andy continued: “The aim of the campaign is to highlight the serious issue of home fire safety in a fun, but practical way. We hope that by offering Warwickshire residents free home fire safety checks and smoke alarms, we will help to make more homes in Warwickshire safer this Christmas.”
Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Councillor Richard Hobbs said: “Nationally it shows that you are more than twice as likely to die in an accidental house fire if you do not have a working smoke alarm, which is why we are giving residents the opportunity to sign up for a free home fire safety check.
"Christmas is an exciting time of year and we want to ensure that communities are made safer over the festive period.”