Take extra care during Saturday's Firefighter strike written by
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue 1403257258
on the 20
th June 2014 at 10:40
- Posted in Fire Blog
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) is encouraging residents to take extra care to protect their loved ones from the risks of fire. This valuable advice comes as the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) plan to hold further strike action as part of its national dispute with the Government over pensions. The strike will take place on Saturday 21 June between 10am and 5pm. Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACO) Chris Lowther, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We are encouraging everyone to take extra care during the strike on Saturday. "More than 60% of fires attended by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service actually start in the kitchen, so we are reminding people to take extra care when cooking. Never leave cooking unattended, do not use chip pans and do not cook when under the influence of alcohol, where you could easily forget about your cooking, or worse, fall asleep. Also be careful not to get distracted by children or visitors."
Chris continues: "I cannot emphasise enough the importance of having working smoke alarms. Every household should have one on every level of their property and they should be checked monthly. They give you early warning of fire and can mean the difference between life and death, providing you with extra time to get out safely, especially at night. "Every household should have an escape plan and everyone who lives there should know what it is and what to do should a fire break out. Fire and smoke can spread rapidly within a matter of minutes. The plan should take into account different escape routes and will remind you to check doors and windows so you know that they will open if you need them to escape in the event of a fire. Finally, if you do have a fire, get out of the house, stay out and call 999.†Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service will be providing a limited response service during the industrial action. It includes trained fire service officers and staff who have been temporarily recruited who were successful during the last recruitment campaign process but for whom there were no vacancies at the time. It also includes former military and specialist personnel. A reduced number of appliances, will be strategically placed across Tyne and Wear according to risk and the ability to maintain the best speed of response; their attendance at incidents will be prioritised according to the risk to life and property. For more information on how to stay safe from fire please visit www.twfire.gov.uk or www.facebook.com/twfrs, www.twitter.com/tyne_wear_frs or www.facebook.com/firekills.
