Promoting Fire Safety In Flats

A partnership approach to raising awareness of the importance of taking simple fire safety measures in flats in Caerphilly county borough has been launched recently by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Caerphilly County Borough Council. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The two organisations have joined together as part of a new promotional campaign, aimed at raising awareness of simple safety measures that can be taken to help prevent fires occurring, while also significantly reducing the risk of fires spreading between flats. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Leader Cllr Keith Reynolds and Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing Cllr David Poole joined officers from Caerphilly Fire Station for the campaign’s launch at Claude Road in Caerphilly. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The location was chosen following a serious fire at a flat on Claude Road in Caerphilly in June 2015. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

While the flat where the fire occurred was fitted with a compliant fire door, at some stage after its installation the door closure mechanism had been removed. This resulted in the door being left open when the tenant exited the flat, and as a consequence, a tenant in a second floor flat had to be rescued from the premises by the fire service. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr David Poole said, “Properties are required by law to comply with certain fire safety regulations, particularly in situations where individual entrance doors to flats open onto an enclosed communal landing and stairway. Our officers work tirelessly to ensure our council owned flats remain compliant with these regulations, but tenants also have an important role to play in this. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“By following some simple advice, people can help significantly reduce the risk of fire and the potential for the spread of fire between flats”. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Christian Hadfield, Group Manager in Business Fire Safety at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service commented, “Fire doors are an essential, lifesaving part of a house or flat, and removing them or altering them can have serious consequences. We ask that landlords and housing associations, as well as householders themselves, make themselves aware of how a fire door can reduce the risk of fire and also can protect their property from fire spread. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“If an apartment building is found to have doors which are non-complaint with the Fire Safety Order, the landlord or building management will be liable for action by SWFRS and its business safety team”. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The council and fire service offer some simple steps to help stay safe by: – ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• Making sure fire doors in shared areas are always kept closed
• Keeping shared stairs, hallways and landings in the building free from clutter and items, e.g. bins, pushchairs, mobility scooters, empty paint pots etc
• Testing smoke alarms on a regular basis e.g. weekly – even a hardwired one has a back-up battery
• Knowing what to do if there is a fire in the building
• Ensuring front doors are fire safe with the correct rating standard