A new Fire Kills campaign is urging students to stay safe from fire, as they move into homes outside the security of halls of residence. Nottingham Trent University has agreed to have one of the new Fire Kills student Ambassadors, Jordan O’Brien, to act as a liason and promote fire safety round the university.
New survey results also shows that people vastly underestimate the impact of toxic smoke, many believing they could survive a smoke filled room for more than two minutes, or that the smell of smoke would be enough to alert them. Others assumed a barking dog or neighbour would alert them. ‘A barking neighbour wouldn’t alert me to a fire’, you might think. But neither would a barking dog.
Aside from being wrong, these people simply aren’t taking the issue seriously enough. The two minutes that you might be able to survive, is the average time it takes to escape a house, – the only way to escape the danger is with a working smoke detector, something so simple, but invaluable; obvious to most of us, but still easily forgotten.
Students going into private accommodation must also be weary of their rights – it is a landlord’s responsibility to keep up safety standards, and if they aren’t holding up their end, you not only can, but should complain and use the term ‘legal action’ if required (really plays with their hair, that one).
This attention to fire safety came as the statistics made a noticeable shift in 2006, detailing that while national numbers of fire fatalities were dropping, for young people they are rising, quite substantially, 14% to be exact.
Martin Malloy of Nottinghamshire Fire Service said the following: “For students moving out of the family home into digs, it may feel like a ‘Great Escape’. However, when you live in your own accommodation, you need to know what to do in the event of a fire and that includes knowing how to get out in the event of a fire – the greatest escape of all. […] As the new Fire Kills Drowning in Smoke advert highlights, it only takes a couple of breaths of toxic smoke to make a person unconscious. So make sure you have a working smoke alarm and test it every week. It’s a small device but it could save your life.”
Fire Kills campaign top tips for ensuring you stay safe from fire in your home:
- Fit smoke alarms on each level of the house and test them weekly
- Never leave cooking unattended
- Take extra care with cigarettes and smoking materials and never smoke in bed – when a cigarette is finished, put it out, right out!
- Never leave candles or tea lights unattended and ensure that they are put in safe holders
- Switch off electrical appliances when not in use, unless they’re designed to stay on – like a freezer
- Check furniture has the fire-resistant permanent label
- Plan and practice an escape route with your housemates
- If a fire starts get out, stay out and call 999
Nottingham Fire Service offers free Home Fire Risk Checks to local students. They will visit your home and advise on the best escape route to take, check your home for fire hazards and may also install a working smoke alarm free of charge. For more information on how to protect you and your housemates from fire and to book a home fire risk check or download leaflets, visit direct.gov.uk/firekills.
Jordan O’Brian of Student Fire Kills will be holding a meeting on 27th December in the Student meeting.
Nick Charity
Tags: fire kills, safety, students
