11 June 2009

Firefighters are supporting Child Safety Week from 22 to 28 June by providing safety tips to help parents and children avoid accidental fires in the home.

More than 1,000 children were injured in accidental house fires in the UK in 2006, many of them in the kitchen. To help combat this, Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service is arming parents with information to help keep everyone safe in the home.

Community safety manager Terry Ridgley said: “It’s important that mums and dads talk to their children about fire safety and set a good example to help them stay safer together. 

“Explaining the importance of having a smoke alarm and testing it weekly, for example, can significantly reduce the devastating consequences of having an accidental house fire.”

Terry’s top tips for a safer family home are:

• Set clear kitchen rules for young children, such as - never play with matches, never switch on the cooker, never put anything on top of the cooker and don’t touch any saucepans on the cooker.
  
  
• Make sure young children know the kitchen is not a play area - never leave younger children alone in the kitchen when you're cooking and never let them play near the oven and hob.
  
  
• Get ‘key clever’ – encourage your children to check that keys are in the correct place. Keys for windows and doors should always be kept in an accessible place so you can get out quickly in the event of a fire.
  
  
• Nominate your child to be the ‘escape champ’ – regularly role-play the escape routes you would use in the event of a fire and give children the responsibility to keep escape routes clear.
  
  
• Discuss how to call 999 – make sure children know which number to call in an emergency. Also ensure that they know their address and that both are pinned up by the phone - explain the importance of only calling 999 in a real emergency.
  
  
• Keep candles, lighters and matches out of children’s reach - never leave burning candles unattended.
  
  
• Fit and maintain a smoke alarm – you should have one on each level of your home and test it weekly. Smoke alarms should be positioned close to kitchens but not in kitchens. Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service will fit free smoke alarms if you book a free safety check by ringing 01296 744477, emailing cs@bucksfire.gov or filling in the online form at www.bucksfire.gov.uk – the link is just below the picture of the fire engines on the home page!
  
  
• Don’t remove the batteries – if your smoke alarm keeps going off accidentally while you are cooking, don’t remove the batteries. Instead, move the alarm or change it for one with a silencer button.
  
  
• In the event of a fire, get out, stay out and call 999 – don’t delay for valuables, and don’t investigate or try to tackle the fire. Use a mobile phone, a neighbour’s phone or a phone box to call 999. If someone needs to be rescued, wait safely outside for the firefighters who have the equipment and training to do it. Never go back in.

Katrina Phillips, Chief Executive of Child Safety Week organisers the Child Accident Prevention Trust, said: “Everyone in the family has a part to play in fire safety.

"Get into the habit of checking the smoke alarms each week, cooking with safety in mind and keeping matches where young children can’t find them. And practise how to get out, so the whole family knows what to do if a fire does break out. These simple things all help families to stay safer together.”

To find out more about Child Safety Week, visit the Child Accident Prevention Trust website at www.childsafetyweek.org.uk