The fire and rescue service attends more than 160k fires each year in the UK, around 30k of which occur in our homes. 261 people died in fires last year alone, and a further 6,902 were injured. Whilst demands on the service remain as high as ever, government funding for fire and rescue services has been cut by £155 million since 2016, and firefighters are being expected to do ‘more with less,’ taking on increased duties for the same pay. Average response times have increased by 4% since 2011 and look likely to continue to rise without increasing investment according to the Fire Brigades Union. They have stressed that public safety is at risk and, subsequently, members recently voted overwhelmingly to prepare for industrial action.

So with our fire and rescue service buckling under increasing pressures, what can we do to help to protect ourselves, our families and our homes? Here are ten things we can all do today to help keep our household safe:

1. Fit a smoke alarm and check it regularly
2. Make a fire action plan so that everyone in your house knows how to escape in the event of fire
3. Take care when cooking with hot oil and think about using thermostatically controlled deep fat fryers
4. Never leave lit candles unattended
5. Ensure cigarettes are stubbed out and disposed of carefully
6. Never smoke in bed
7. Keep matches and lighters away from children
8. Keep clothing away from heating appliances
9. Take care in the kitchen! Accidents whilst cooking account for a large number of fires in the home
10. Take special care when you are tired or when you’ve been drinking

If you heat your home using oil, the other thing you should do is make sure you have a fire valve fitted to your oil-burning appliance. All new installations of oil burning equipment should already have a fire safety shut-off valve fitted, but if your oil burner is more than 10 years old it may be missing this crucial component. The KBB Fire Valve is recommended by OFTEC to be fitted to any existing oil-fired appliances where there is not one already installed.

For more information about the KBB Fire Valve click here: https://teddingtonheating.com/kbb-fire-valve/