Council Urges Residents To Be Extra Fire Safety Conscious |
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Ahead of planned industrial action by London's firefighters
The council is urging residents to be extra vigilant when it comes to fire safety in the home and in the workplace ahead of next week's planned industrial action by London's firefighters. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) plan to strike from 10am Friday 5 November to 9am Sunday 7 November. The London Fire Brigade has contingency plans to draft in alternative fire fighting resources during the strike action but these will have limited capabilities. As a result the council is urging residents - especially those who live in high-rise buildings - The safety message is particularly important for people who smoke and those who use candles around the home. The key messages are to call 999 immediately if you spot a fire. If it's inside your home or workplace – then get out of the property immediately and stay out until the emergency services arrive and deal with the situation. People who live in high-rise blocks should evacuate their flats as quickly as possible if a fire breaks out inside their home and make sure they shut the front door behind them to hamper the spread of flames to communal areas and other properties. Council tenants and leaseholders are also being advised to report any blockages or obstructions on communal landings and hallways that could either hinder peoples' escape or hamper rescue teams. People should also immediately report the presence of any materials that could be set alight by vandals or firebugs. Among the practical messages to help keep people safe in their homes: • Make sure that you have a smoke alarm, check that it works and change the battery if you need to. Apart from blazes sparked by unattended and carelessly discarded cigarettes, many domestic fires start in kitchens. Extra care should always be taken whilst cooking – especially if using chip pans or deep fryers. To reduce the risk of a fire starting in the kitchen, residents should: • Never leave chip pans unattended whilst on the heat He added: "If the strike action is not called off then it is vitally important that people exercise greater vigilance over the coming days when firefighting capacity in London will be under strain. "These common sense tips could help prevent many of the fires that the brigade is called on to deal with on a daily basis." For the latest information about the industrial action and more advice on fire safety in the home and workplace visit www.london-fire.gov.uk/IndustrialAction.asp November 4, 2010 |