Cleveland Fire Brigade is urging residents to prioritise fire safety this Christmas by ensuring they have working smoke alarms in their homes and testing them regularly.
With Christmas approaching, we encourage residents to give their families the ultimate gift this season: the gift of safety.
Lee Brown, Senior Head of Prevention, Protection and Engagement at Cleveland Fire Brigade, said: “We want our communities to enjoy the festive celebrations, but above all, we want people to stay safe during one of the busiest and potentially most dangerous times of the year.
Working smoke alarms save lives, and a few simple steps can make all the difference in keeping your family safe and provide peace of mind this festive season. We’d encourage everyone to test their smoke alarms weekly to ensure they are working properly – listen for a loud beeping noise.” Continued Lee Brown.
In the event of a fire, having working smoke alarms can provide you and your family with those crucial extra seconds to escape, potentially saving lives. If you or your loved ones don’t have any working smoke alarms in your home, we’d strongly urge you to take advantage of our FREE Safer Homes Visits. Our friendly team will come to your home, offer expert fire safety advice, and supply or replace smoke alarms where needed.
We know that throughout December, people tend to spend more time at home enjoying the festivities by cooking, drinking, lighting candles, and using additional electrical outlets for festive decorations, all of which can increase the risk of having a fire.
We’re asking people to help reduce that risk by being aware of potential hazards. Last December, crews from the Brigade attended twenty fires in the home, which is above the five-year average. The top three causes were as follows: A quarter (25%) of incidents were due to smoking, a fifth (20%) were cooking related and a further (20%) were due to electrical faults and wiring.
Stay safe this Christmas by following these simple tips:
- Switch off Christmas lights before bed
- Avoid overloading sockets
- Refrain from drinking while cooking
- Never leave cooking unattended
- Always place candles in sturdy holders away from curtains and flammable materials.
With many fires occurring in the kitchen over the festive period we’d also like to ask you to follow our festive cooking tips for a safer Christmas:
- Stand by Your Pan – don’t leave cooking unattended
- Don’t drink and cook – alcohol and cooking do not mix
- Keep it clean –a build-up of food deposit and fats can provide fuel for fire
- Make sure you have a working smoke alarm on every level of your home
Visit our website for further tips to stay safe over the festive period.
