Agenda item - Older People: Keeping Safe; Fire Safety

Presentation by Steve Wright, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, and Discussion

59.1 East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (ESFRS) Community Safety Officer Steve Wright gave a powerpoint presentation on Fire Safety for older and vulnerable people. The priority was to prevent fires, and reduce deaths, injuries and damage to buildings. Last year there had been as many as 10 deaths from fire compared with 4 in the previous year, and of these a high percentage were elderly with disabilities that were unknown to ESFRS.

59.2 Main causes of fires were unattended cooking and cigarettes/smoking. The maximum turn out time by ESFRS is 8 minutes to reach a fire even in more remote parts of East Sussex.

59.3 ESFRS provided free home safety visits for vulnerable people and are looking to visit at least 10,000 homes this year for residents who would benefit from a full risk assessment, advice and for those who are eligible, free smoke alarm including vibrating alarms for the hearing impaired. ESFSR was asking all agencies and organisations to check that staff were aware of the issues and encouraging everyone to refer vulnerable neighbours, to ESFRS. People with disabilities or drug or alcohol issues were eligible for the scheme.

59.4 Main advice to older people was to plan your escape if the main exit were blocked by fire and what to do if trapped – don’t try to fight the fire as acrid smoke can kill quickly – and to keep a phone by the bed. 

59.5 Answering questions, Mr Wright said smoke alarm batteries were designed to last 10 years which was usually the lifetime of the equipment and the alarm should be tested regularly. Smoke alarms were now compulsory for all new buildings and extensions and the average cost of an alarm is £12. 

59.6 People’s safety came first and therefore fire extinguishers, fire blankets or other methods were not normally recommended for use by older or vulnerable people.  Small chip pan fires may be dealt with by turning off the gas supply if safe to do so.

59.7 The owner or managing agent of flats had responsibility to risk assess and test alarms and should have records. All flats should have at least ½ - 1 hour fire resistant doors. The Council was responsible to enforce homes registered as Homes in Multiple Occupancy. Housing Committee was to consider a new enforcement scheme scheduled to start later this year.

59.8 All schools had evacuation plans and are visited on a regular basis to receive safety education. The Football in the Community scheme included safety including fire and road safety.

59.9 Further information was available from http://www.esfrs.org or :

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, 20 Upperton Road , Eastbourne , East Sussex  BN21 1EU.  Telephone - 0303 999 1000   Fax - 01323 725 574  Minicom - 01323 462 003  Email - enquiries@esfrs.org

59.10 The Chair Jack Hazelgrove thanked Steve Wright for his presentation.