Take extra care during industrial action by the Fire Brigades Union written by
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue 1404829154
on the 08
th July 2014 at 15:19
- Posted in Fire Blog
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) is encouraging residents and businesses to take extra care to protect themselves from the risks of fire ahead of the latest strike by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) on Thursday 10 July, between 10am and 7pm.
The strike is due to an ongoing dispute between the FBU and national Government over pensions. It coincides with industrial action by a number of other public sector trade unions.
Further discontinuous periods of strike action by the FBU are also taking place between Monday 14 July and Monday 21 July.
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 latest periods of industrial action.
"People can help keep themselves and their property safe by ensuring they have working smoke alarms on every level of their property. They give you early warning of a fire and can mean the difference between life and death, providing you with extra time to get out safely, especially at night. Residents should also have an escape plan, in the event of a fire, and ensure that everyone in the property knows it.
"More than 60% of fires we attend 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.
"Businesses and organisations should ensure their fire risk assessment is up to date and that their staff know what to do in the event of a fire at work. Finally, if you do have a fire, get out of the house, stay out and call 999."
More information on how people can help stay safe from fire visit www.twfire.gov.uk or www.facebook.com/twfrs, www.twitter.com/tyne_wear_frs or www.facebook.com/firekills.
