Fire safety advice for the disabled

If you have any difficulties hearing, seeing or moving about, you need to take extra care to deal with the risk of fire. If you take a few simple steps, learn a few good habits and avoid some bad ones, you avoid almost all fires in the home.

West Midlands Fire Service have provided a website for the Deaf and Hard of hearing community featuring video clips of a British Sign Language interpreter. The website also has text and provides helpful advice including: Emergency calls, Non-emergency calls, Home fire safety check, HFSC booking form, Support team and Deaf community news - West Midlands Fire Service website for the Deaf Community.

ΛTop

Top 10 Tips

Electric Blankets
Trading Standards recommend they have a life span of 10 years. They must be kept dry and flat at all times. Free testing by Trading Standards takes place once a year in Shropshire in the Autumn
Make sure you have working smoke alarms, we recommend at least one per floor
Never leave cooking unattended
Over 50% of house fires start in the kitchen. Perhaps use a timer as a reminder when cooking
Use torches rather than candles in a power cut
Never overload your sockets
Never smoke in bed
Keep matches and lighters away from visiting children
Never leave your television on stand-by
Close your kitchen and lounge door at night
Make a fire escape plan. Keep escape routes free from obstructions