Birchwood Fire Station

Did you know that April was National Spring Clean month? Why not take the opportunity to give your smoke alarm a good vacuuming so as to remove any dust or insects that may stop it activating when you need it. While you are cleaning the alarm make sure you test it and if you have to, change the battery. A smoke alarm if sited and maintained correctly will give an early warning of a fire situation, so allowing the occupants to put their fire plan into action and exit the premises safely.

If you require more information or advice on smoke alarms, fire plans or general fire safety please contact your local Fire Station on 01925-818379, or the Community Fire Safety Department on 01925-639129.

Malicious Calls - this type of call can be either a call made by phone or a deliberate activation of a fire alarm system. In the year 2000 the appliance at Birchwood attended 8 malicious calls. This was a reduction of 275% on the previous year and was achieved by local Firefighters educating the public (mainly children) on the risks that malicious calls present.

These are:

• An appliance responding to a malicious call is not available to respond to a genuine need for assistance (longer time for an appliance to reach the scene, puts the lives of the public and Firefighters at risk, as a fire will be more developed).

• It is a waste of valuable resources (costs money each time an appliance responds).

• There is a risk to public and Firefighters when an appliance responds to a malicious call (possible road accident).

All emergency calls are monitored, recorded and can be traced if required. The making of malicious calls may lead to prosecution.

If you require more advice on malicious calls or general fire safety contact 01925-818379 or 01925-639129.

Arson - This is the largest single cause of major fires in the U.K. In the year 2000 the appliance at Birchwood responded to 153 fires involving malicious ignition.

The Firefighters at Birchwood are trying to reduce the problem of arson by engaging the community through school visits and community education, but we need your help as well.

Listed below are some of the common targets for arsonists:

• Waste Bins - the council can empty them more often if a persistent problem exits.

• Skips - keep them away from buildings, empty regularly, avoid combustible material if possible, and do not overfill.

• Stolen Vehicles - better vehicle security (for advice contact your local Police Station).

• Wheelie Bins - Keep them out of sight and away from buildings. Only put them out on collection days.

For young people who display a tendency to play or experiment with fire, Cheshire Fire Brigade run a voluntary Firesafe scheme, the aim being to educate the child in the very real dangers of their actions.

If you need advice on arson, the Firesafe scheme or general fire safety contact your local Fire Station on 10925-818379 or the Community Fire Safety department on 01925-639129.