The importance of having working smoke alarms installed in the home will be the key message promoted during National Fire Safety Week 2013, which will feature a series of promotions taking place in County Clare.
The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government will host the 12th annual all-island initiative from this Monday (7th October) to Monday 14th October 2013, in association with the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service and locally with Clare County Fire & Rescue Service.
The theme of this year’s safety campaign is “Together We can STOP Fire”. The ‘STOP’ in the campaign slogan captures the key behaviours that will help people stop fires starting and therefore reducing the number of casualties and deaths as a result of fire. S is for Smoke alarms, T is for Testing smoke alarms weekly, O is for Obvious dangers, P is for Plan your escape.
According to Adrian Kelly, Clare Chief Fire Officer: “Unfortunately on average 40 people die in Ireland each year as a result of fire. House fires account for the vast majority of these fires. In the first eight months of this year there was a 37% increase in fires in Clare this year. While most of the increase was in forest and bog fires there was also an increase in chimney fires. This year’s campaign is aimed at prompting older people directly to take protective fire safety action.”
Clare County Fire & Rescue Service has the following fire safety advice for the public:
- Install smoke alarms in your home to give you an early warning, check your smoke alarm every week & use long life lithium batteries with your smoke alarm if possible
- Close all your doors at night and check that electrical appliances are switched off
- Avoid overloading electrical sockets
- Use an effective spark guard with open fires
- Clean your chimneys twice a year
- Keep a fire extinguisher and/or fire blanket nearby and know how to use them
- Use electric blankets sensibly – Follow the manufacturer’s instructions
- Make sure cigarettes are extinguished properly - Avoid smoking in bed
- In the event of a fire in your home Get Out, Stay Out And Call the Fire Brigade Out. The phone number to call out the Fire Service is 999/112
Play your part during National Fire Safety Week and check out the fire safety and prevention section of Clare County Council’s website, www.clarecoco.ie.
