Wendy Urges Buddies, Check Your Smoke Alarm for Christmas – and Applauds Local Fire Safety Gains

Wendy Alexander MSP today visited Paisley fire station to urge greater fire safety over the Christmas holidays.

Wendy congratulated the Paisley fire HQ on their recent fire safety record citing that there has only been 1 fire fatality in Paisley in 2004/5.

The Renfrew fire safety statistics are even better as there have been no fire fatalities in the past two years.

She also welcomed figures published in the 2005 Annual Fire Safety report which shows there were 16 less fire deaths in Strathclyde during the past year than in 2003/2004.

Wendy said:

“While I welcome the decrease in overall fire deaths across Strathclyde and the good fire safety in Paisley North, I am saddened that there were still 37 fire deaths in Strathclyde in the last year.

“Thirty-three of the deaths happened in the home.

“Every fire death is a tragedy, and in many cases a tragedy that could have been avoided had a smoke alarm been fitted or maintained in working order in these homes.
“Furthermore, I urge all people celebrating over the holiday season exercise caution and utilise good fire prevention practices.”

“The most common cause of death was smoking materials such as cigarettes, lighters, or ashtrays.

In nearly half of the fatality cases, alcohol was a contributory factor and in more than half of the case there was no operational smoke alarm in the home.

“The Fire and Rescue Services, in partnership with the Scottish Executive, are working on a number of initiatives aimed at fire prevention, including plans to purchase and
install 10-year-life smoke detectors in homes on request.

“Encouragingly, attacks on fire crews in Strathclyde have also fallen from 193 to 141.”