Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service Press Release
Anita says follow the fire service safety code - and go to the top of the class

Student Anita Jones has been given a new assignment as one of the faces of a new campaign to help cut the number of deaths related to fire among young people.

Anita, who’s in the final year of a business and marketing management degree at the University of Gloucestershire, has been chosen by Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service as a “Fire Kills” ambassador.  

It’s part of a national campaign funded by the Government in which 24 students nationwide are recruited to promote fire safety messages to students at university. 

“I think this is a really important campaign because there’s so much information about fire safety that people are unaware of,” said Anita, aged 24, who lives with four other students in Cheltenham.

“We have an alarm that has been fitted and tested in our house. We also have stickers with contact numbers for the Fire Service around the house and safety tips in the kitchen. It’s very important that all students think about fire safety. All they have to do is call their local fire service for a home fire risk check-up and they can arrange to have an alarm fitted for free. It’s that easy!”

The latest Communities and Local Government figures show an alarming increase in the number of young people losing their lives in domestic fires. The number of people aged 17 to 24 killed in accidental house fires in England increased by 14% from 2006 to 2007 – despite a 15% drop in the total number of people killed in fires in England in the same period.

New survey results also shows that people vastly underestimate the impact of toxic smoke.  Of those surveyed:

• Almost half (43%) believed they could survive for more than two minutes in a smoke filled room;
• Nearly half (48%) thought they would be alerted to a fire by the smell of the smoke.
• Almost a fifth (18%) believed a pet, e.g. their dog barking, or someone else, would alert them to a house fire.

Contrary to popular belief, the only way to buy vital time to escape from a house fire is by having a working smoke alarm.

Chief Fire Officer, Terry Standing, said: “We are particularly concerned about students, because despite an overall drop in the number of fatal fires in England, there’s been an alarming increase in the number of young people losing their lives in domestic fires.

“For students moving out of the family home into digs, it may feel like a ‘Great Escape’.  However, when you live in your own accommodation, you need to know what to do in the event of a fire and that includes knowing how to get out in the event of a fire – the greatest escape of all.  Fire safety advice from Gloucestershire
Fire and Rescue Service is just one telephone call away and we are always happy to assist. Most importantly everyone should make sure they have a working smoke alarm. It’s a small device but it could save your life.”

Cllr Will Windsor-Clive, Gloucestershire County Council cabinet member for community safety said: "We all remember how exciting it was going off to college for the first time, or going back after a holiday, but students must also be aware of fire safety in their accommodation.

“And if safety standards aren’t adequate, they must complain to their landlords and make sure they’re brought up to the required standard. As we have seen elsewhere, it can be a matter of life and death.”

Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service offers free home fire safety checks to local students. They will visit your home and advise on the best escape route to take, check your home for fire hazards and may also install a working smoke alarm free of charge. For more information on how to protect you and your family from fire and to book a home fire safety check, please call 01452 753333 or fill in the request form online.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

Here are the Fire Kills campaign’s top tips for ensuring you stay safe from fire in your home:

• Fit smoke alarms on each level of the house and test them weekly
• Never leave cooking unattended
• Take extra care with cigarettes and smoking materials and never smoke in bed – when a cigarette is finished, put it out, right out!
• Never leave candles or tea lights unattended and ensure that they are put in safe holders
• Switch off electrical appliances when not in use, unless they’re designed to stay on – like a freezer
• Check furniture has the fire-resistant permanent label
• Plan and practice an escape route with your housemates
• If a fire starts get out, stay out and call 999

[1] Figures on fire deaths from Communities and Local Government  2007 Fire Statistics

Issued by: Emma Smith, Gloucestershire County Council Media Team, 01452 426887, emma.j.smith@gloucestershire.gov.uk

18th November 2009