Since launching its Home Fire Safety Visits in 2006, Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AF&RS) has now visited more than 100,000 homes and helped protect their occupants.
In 2006 crews began visiting the homes of people living in the AF&RS area to offer fire safety advice and fit free smoke alarms.
Between April 2006 and June 2015 103,840 visits have been completed.
During that time the number of accidental house fires has fallen by 26% from 656 in 2006/07 to 486 in 2014/15.
Dave Boulter MBE, who lives in Horfield, Bristol, is one of those to have received a visit and explains the difference it made.
He said: “One of my smoke alarms wasn’t working properly so I booked a visit and when firefighters arrived they talked me through a range of steps I could take to reduce the risk of fire breaking out in my home.
“Simple things like closing all internal doors and switching off all electrical appliances which don’t need to be left on before going to bed can make all the difference.
“The advice was tailored to my needs and I now feel safer in my home as a result.
“I also know that if a fire does break out, my smoke alarms will activate to alert me, giving me a greater chance of escape.
“I can’t thank AF&RS enough for the reassurance they have given me. I would urge everyone to book a visit either for their own homes or for someone they care about, like an elderly relative or neighbour.”
To find out more about Dave’s Home Fire Safety Visit, head to: https://youtu.be/2VdDSkkSN1w.
To bring its Home Fire Safety Visit service up-to-date Avon Fire & Rescue Service has developed a tablet application which crews are using when visiting homes.
The app features photographs and short films to reinforce messages during the visit.
Group Manager for Community Safety at AF&RS Matt Peskett said: “We are in the tenth year of delivering Home Fire Safety Visits to people living in the AF&RS area, with more than 103,000 homes already visited.
“In that time we have seen the number of accidental house fires fall significantly with 170 fewer than in 2006. This is excellent work and something we can be very proud of.
“We’re now working hard to reach the people who need our help the most, so the public can play a really important part by making friends, family or neighbours aware of this fantastic free and life-saving service.
“The tablet app has been created to ensure we can illustrate the dangers of fire in the home in a way people can relate to.
“Things are much easier to identify with if you can see photographs or video about the experiences of others.
“We hope the app will enhance the service we already provide and encourage people to book a Home Fire Safety Visit.”
To book a visit for yourself or someone you care about, call 0117 926 2061, text ‘visit’ to 07507 319 694 or go to www.avonfire.gov.uk.
