Home fire safety checks do save lives!
Kind hearted firefighters have rewarded two young children with presents after they helped save the lives of their family when their toaster set alight.
Four year old Layla alerted her parents to the fire on the morning of the 31st August. Although the smoke alarms did activate, Layla went straight to her parents to alert them of the fire in the kitchen, where her 19 month old brother was eating his breakfast.
The crews had only visited the home two weeks before to provide the family with life-saving advice and fit smoke alarms as part of a drive by Warwickshire County Council‘s Fire and Rescue Service to increase home fire safety checks.
The free service offers residents advice in the home, which is tailored to individual circumstances and is aimed at managing fire hazards in the home.
Each check identifies some of the factors which can increase the risk of fire or injury in the home such as: Are plug sockets overloaded? Are matches or other sources of ignition out of reach of children? Have people got a fire escape plan? Is there a working smoke detector fitted at each level of the house?
In cases where no smoke alarms are fitted or where there is not a smoke alarm at each level of the house, crews will offer to fit further smoke alarms free of charge.
Kitchen fires can take hold very quickly. Luckily in this case, the occupiers were alerted by their very brave daughter and their smoke alarms which were fitted just two weeks ago by firefighters from Rugby Fire Station. The fire was caused by an electrical fault which without early detection could have quickly taken hold of the kitchen.
Watch Manager, Keith McDermott said
“We were really impressed by Layla’s quick actions. If there had been no smoke alarms fitted, Layla would have been the only warning the family had. So we wanted to show her how wonderful she is by getting her a great outfit to dress up in. We hope that she will enjoy using it and remember what a real star she is!”
Portfolio Holder for Community Protection, Richard Hobbs said:
“Although accidents do happen, precautionary measures such as our Home Fire Safety Checks help to minimise the risk to life and damage to property. This case is a prime example of how education and intervention measures play a part in keeping the residents of Warwickshire safer.”
To find out more about Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service or to find out how to book a free Home Fire Safety Check, visit: http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fireandrescue