Warwickshire County Councils Fire and Rescue Service will be launching a new scheme this week thanks to a grant of £4,500 from the Electrical Safety Council (ESC).
The scheme, which encourages young people to spot potential fire hazards in the home, has been established by Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service as part of a drive to keep young people safe from harm through an interactive fire safety education programme.
As part of the scheme, pupils will be asked to carry out an initial hazard spotting exercise which checks key elements such as whether there is a working smoke alarm in the home, if there are any electrical cables running under carpets or rugs and ensuring that there only one plug used per socket. Checks can be carried out in their family home, grandparents, neighbours, relatives or friends houses. Once complete, the young people have to hand in a completed assessment to the school and are awarded with a Junior Fire Safety Champion certificate.
All assessments are passed onto the fire service and are entered into a monthly draw for a £25 WHSmith voucher. The assessment also provides the residents with the opportunity to request advice or a free home fire safety check from the fire service.
Schools Liaison Officer, Ruth Greenhalgh said: “We are really pleased to have received funding for this scheme from the Electrical Safety Council. This is the second scheme they have funded within the last three years to help educate young people about how to stay safe in the home. The project will now be rolled out to schools across Warwickshire to give young people aged between 9 and 10 the opportunity to learn more about fire safety, electrical fire safety and how to stay safe in the home.”
Lorraine Carney, Senior Campaigns Manager at the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) said: “Our primary objective is to help people stay safer around electricity. So we are delighted to work with the Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service to support their innovative Junior Fire Safety Champion Scheme. According to government statistics, almost half of all accidental fires in UK homes – that’s over 20,000 each year – are caused by electricity, so it’s vital that people are made aware of where electrical dangers may arise in their homes and understand how to prevent an electrical-related accident happening.”
Portfolio Holder for Community Safety said: “We are really pleased to once again be working in partnership with the Electrical Safety Council and Warwickshire schools. The new scheme will ensure that more young people will have the opportunity to develop their fire safety knowledge which in turn help to make our communities safer. “
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