A new online fire safety quiz has been launched by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to support people to stay safe at home – and potentially save lives.
The ‘Fire Safety in the Home – Self Assessment’ survey asks a series of simple questions and then automatically generates a home fire safety report for them.
People are also encouraged to sign up for a free Home Fire Safety Visit from firefighters who can provide further safety advice, check smoke detectors and fire evacuation plans. These visits would be conducted in line with present social distancing and safety restrictions.
The quiz could help to save lives and property, says the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s head of prevention and protection, Alasdair Perry.
He commented: “This is a fantastic resource that can help people stay safe in their own homes – and they can even take the quiz on behalf of a relative or neighbour to help keep them safe too.
“The questions and the advice are simple and straightforward – but heeding that advice could help save a life, or prevent an emergency from occurring in the first place.
“We would encourage as many people as possible who have access to the internet to take the quiz, for your own home and for any others you may know who would benefit.”
The quiz goes through topics such as heat and smoke detectors, electrical sockets and smoking in bed, with potentially life-saving advice appearing on screen where needed and depending on the answers given by the user.
The tool also encourages users to sign up for a Home Fire Safety Visit – limited numbers of which are currently being carried out to those who are at highest risk of fire in the home during the coronavirus pandemic.
The senior officer continued: “While this tool is incredibly useful, it does not replace our free Home Fire Safety Visit service, and we remain committed to reaching the most vulnerable people in our communities to help them stay safe.
“That is why we are encouraging people to get in touch with us if they believe someone they know is at risk, or if they are over 50, smoke and also either live alone, use medical oxygen or have mobility issues.
“If you do not fall into a high risk category, you will still be placed on the waiting list for a visit from our highly trained crews, to be carried out when it is safe to do so.
“By working together with our communities, we can continue to drive down the number of completely unavoidable fires we see in Scotland’s homes, and the number of avoidable injuries we see as a result.”
To use the interactive tool, visit:
https://www.firescotland.gov.uk/your-safety/online-hfsv-checker.aspx
For more information on free Home Fire Safety Visits, go to:
https://www.firescotland.gov.uk/your-safety/for-householders/home-fire-safety-visit.aspx
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