Take extra care during industrial action by the Fire Brigades Union written by
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue 1407343331
on the 06
th August 2014 at 17:42
- 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). The strike will take place every day over eight days from Saturday 9 August until Saturday 16 August between 12:00 hours and 14:00 hours and then between 22.59 hours and 23:59 hours.
The industrial action is due to an ongoing dispute between the FBU and national Government over pensions. 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 house fires we attend start in the kitchen, so we are reminding people to take extra care when cooking, especially as some of the strike action is taking place over the lunchtime period. 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. The same advice applies to using a BBQ. We would encourage anyone who has been drinking alcohol and who is hungry to get a takeaway rather cook.
"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.
