Despite incidents in flats falling to 8-year low

19 October 2017

More than a thousand homes in high rise buildings have been visited by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service personnel since the Grenfell Tower blaze.

Crews have been fitting and checking smoke detectors, as well as providing advice and reassurance to residents.

This action has been against a backdrop of fires in high rise books falling to an eight year low. There were 238 incidents in 2016/17 in buildings with at least 10 storeys, a reduction of nearly a quarter compared to the previous 12 months.

Fires in high rise buildings have fallen by half since 2009/10.

The SFRS director of prevention and protection, David McGown said, “We will continue to work hand-in-hand to reach those who are most vulnerable, and ensure that they know what to do in the event of an emergency.” 

The focus in Scotland has not just been has not just been on high rise accommodation: more than 70,000 Home Fire Safety Visits have been made in the past year.

“We stepped up these visits in the wake of Grenfell Tower tragedy,” David McGown said. 

“There is specific safety information relating to high rise premises available on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website and our firefighters are putting leaflets with clear safety advice through doors, meeting with residents on the ground to directly answer their questions.

“This includes tried and tested national advice, should the fire occur in the flat you are in or elsewhere in the building.”

The campaign will also actively target stakeholders and landlords, ensuring that they know where to find fire safety advice and encouraging them to share it with tenants.

Original source

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service