National Fire Safety Week: time to stamp out the danger

THE danger caused by fire in the home doesn’t need much in the way of explanation given that fatalities, injuries and damage to property is sufficient enough for it to merit respect.

This year’s National Fire Week takes place from October 3rd to 10th when people across the county are asked to familiarise themselves with could have been prevented is a thin one indeed as often what is termed ‘accidental’ can be prevented. In other words, chances are if a proper approach to fire safety was taken to begin with, incidents are far less likely to occur.

But we’re all human and it’s sometimes not always easy to stay focused on specifics.

This year’s National Fire Safety theme is ‘Smoking At Home Can Cause Fatal Fires’ and it’s aimed at reminding people that fires caused by smoking materials can spread very rapidly within minutes through a home. In fact, some people are so conscious of the dangers of smoking at home they go outside to smoke.

Obviously it’s better not to smoke in the first place, but by smoking in the home the dangers are twofold. Dark winter evenings is naturally a time of year when we tend to congregate more in the home and smoking in close quarters to flammable materials just isn’t worth.

Alcohol also plays its own sinister role in fire damage as people with alcohol taken are more likely to fall asleep and therefore neglect a naked flame from coming into contact with flammable material.

The importance of smoke alarms can’t be stated enough and while many homes built in the last 15-years or so have smoke alarms made operable by the mains, many homes still use battery powered alarms and it’s important to ensure they are kept fully charged.

Make sure you always keep a spare battery close to hand and never ignore a non-functioning some alarm - they’re not decorations. Mobile phone chargers are another monumental danger if left unattended and they have caused fires when left plugged in when not in use.

It’s simple: charge your phone and immediately unplug it from the socket, it only takes a second to do.

You also won’t need me to remind you that children should not be allowed play with matches, lighters or any flammable substance. Fire can have devastating consequences on lives and children are never too young to learn about the dangers.

Nowadays there is exceptionally high risk with so many mobile devices requiring charging and it’ll do no harm for parents’ to sit kids down and discuss fire safety in the home.

Familiarity breeds contempt and never a truer saying was there in the case of fire safety. Make National Fire Week 2016 an ‘occasion for realisation’ and stamp out the dangers.