Published: Wednesday, 16th July, 2008 12:00
Alcohol misuse fuels risk of fire
By Iain Robertson
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Kenny Taylor of Central Scotland Fire and Rescue with Firefighter Lara Cantini,Central FM's Anne Marie Miller and Diageo's Robert McIlroy
Pic by: Jan van der Merwe
CLACKMANNANSHIRE is collaborating to prevent needless fire related deaths this summer.
Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service in partnership with Central FM and Diageo have launched a summer campaign of community safety in the Forth Valley area.
Called ‘Act Safe Keep Safe’ it focuses on the deadly relationship between fire and alcohol.
Kenny Taylor, Director of Service Delivery at Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service, said, “Sadly, in almost half of all fire deaths the misuse of alcohol has been a factor. I would appeal to people never to drink so much that they cannot look after themselves and their family.”
Too much alcohol seriously impairs reactions in the event of fire, as well as reducing the chances of escaping safely.
Ann Marie Miller, station manager of Central FM, said, “We’re not saying don’t drink, just drink responsibly. The key message is to check the three Cs, Cooking, Candles and Cigarettes. When returning home after a night out, don’t light any candles or start to cook.”
The three Cs have been identified as the most common sources of ignition in house fires in Scotland.
The campaign encourages people to make sure candles are out, ash trays safely cleared and the cooker is switched off before going to bed.
Ann Marie added, “It is important to get the fire safety message across, last year 24 people died in Scotland in fires where alcohol was a factor.”
Fitting a smoke alarm detector is a simple and cost effective way to increase safety by giving a warning in the event of fire.
Kenny Taylor said, “A working smoke alarm provides warning of fire in the early stages, which can give vital time to escape. Similarly, people should not cook when they return home from a night out as this often results in the most serious incidents of fire.”
Getting the message across will be much easier with the support of Central FM.
Every hour on a Tuesday the station’s ‘Push the Button Tuesday’ encourages listeners to check their smoke alarms work.
Ann Marie added, “Central FM plays an important part in this campaign as we deliver the message to the people of Forth Valley. We look forward to working with Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service in delivering this vital safety information and would like to thank our sponsors, Diageo who have made this possible.”
A Diageo spokesperson said, “We are delighted to be involved in this campaign and hope that people continue to adopt a responsible attitude towards fire safety.”
Along with infomercials on Central FM, buses in the area will be carrying advertising for the campaign to encourage people not to cook, light candles and consider the risk from smoking materials when under the influence of alcohol.
Ignoring the advice could be fatal: falling asleep when a fire starts – without an alarm in place – will mean certain death. Fitting a smoke alarm and testing it regularly is the key ‘do’ for a safe summer.
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