Fire Safety Officer won't come!

**sing-low** · 03-09-2013, 12:07 PM

Just need some advice. Because of council cutbacks, the fire service are only coming out to high risk homes to do safety checks and I don't meet the criteria! They'll send me a leaflet instead.

I have an evacuation plan, do regular fire practises and have a back and front exit from my home but I wanted to ask a person some specific questions about my current fire alarm and evacuating at night from upstairs. I don't mind at night but might do in future.

Also, what do I need to document to show Mrs O if she asks?

**sarah707** · 03-09-2013, 05:31 PM

How odd they have always come out before...

This is quite an old document but still relevant and very useful

http://www.westyorksfire.gov.uk/uplo...e8b39d2fbb.pdf

**Bluebell** · 03-09-2013, 07:21 PM

They've never come out in my area - they said they do elderly etc to install fire alarms but wouldn't come to a childminder. We only have retained firefighters in town but we were told on out pre-reg that we could get someone out.
Maybe its to do with budget cuts?!

**margaret** · 03-09-2013, 07:32 PM

They havent been coming out in our area to childminders for last year due to cut backs.I rang up telling them that 10yr smoke alarms were no longer working after 5.5yrs ,only to be told that they had ,had lots of problems with them and best thing to do was go down to B&Q.If i was living in housing association or on certain benefits they would come out.

**CH1957** · 04-09-2013, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by margaret

They havent been coming out in our area to childminders for last year due to cut backs.I rang up telling them that 10yr smoke alarms were no longer working after 5.5yrs ,only to be told that they had ,had lots of problems with them and best thing to do was go down to B&Q.If i was living in housing association or on certain benefits they would come out.

That's a bit worrying Margaret, Fire Service came to fit the 10 year ones in my house when I started minding 2.5 years ago, said how good they were, batteries wont run etc and just ring them before the 10 years was up and they would renew, also told me they don't go off if you burn the toast/dinner etc but they do!

Even go off if I don't shut the door when I'm having a shower, the steam sets them off!

Seems they are not as good as Fire Service make out.

**bunyip** · 04-09-2013, 08:30 AM

I don't see anywhere telling me that a fire officer's visit is a regulatory requirement, so if an Ofsted inspector makes an issue of it I would query his/her right to do so. That said, there seems to be an increase in arbitrary/spurious inspection 'requirements' (see Sarah's recent letter) so I can understand any CM's urge to play it ultra-safe and cover every possible angle.

My local Fire & Rescue Service has also stopped doing home visits unless you're in an "at risk" group. I don't quite understand why someone on Income Support is more "at risk" than anyone else, especially when it's the fully-employed careerist bourgeois mummies who insist on surrounding the bath with enough of those appalling scented candles to out-glow Hiroshima. Obviously I dropped physics from my secondary school choices too early and missed the bit about fire behaving differently according to socio-economic status.

Sing-lo, IIWY I would log what the fire officer said on your RA/fire plan document thus: "I have asked the fire officer and been officially told that my premises are a low risk, not requiring further checking" or similar.

You may perhaps be able to go to the fire service if they won't come to you. Can you go to the station with specific questions and a sketch-plan of your home? They might also be available to answer questions at community events/displays. Ours do a lot of 'outreach' visits to the local children's centre which is a good chance to catch them and ask questions.

We're now in the same position. 2 years ago they visited any home on request and fitted free alarms. Now they only do a limited selection of homes. It is due to budget cuts: given long enough, I'm sure some politician will come up with a list of social groups which are expendable and who won't even get a visit when their house catches fire. We'll soon be back to "Victorian values" and you'll only get a fire engine if it's written and paid for on your insurance policy.

My three "10-year" alarms started malfunctioning after 2 years, driving us mad with incessant beeps. We now have a linked mains system in place. It got done as part of rewiring the house and a small price to pay to be allowed to sleep through the night.

**angeldelight** · 04-09-2013, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by sing-low

Just need some advice. Because of council cutbacks, the fire service are only coming out to high risk homes to do safety checks and I don't meet the criteria! They'll send me a leaflet instead.

I have an evacuation plan, do regular fire practises and have a back and front exit from my home but I wanted to ask a person some specific questions about my current fire alarm and evacuating at night from upstairs. I don't mind at night but might do in future.

Also, what do I need to document to show Mrs O if she asks?

I have heard they are stopping a lot of visits now which is a shame

I've never had a visit though and its never done us any harm

It sounds like you have everything in order anyway .

Why not call them and ask the questions over the phone about your alarm?

Angel xx

**sing-low** · 04-09-2013, 07:15 PM

Thanks, Sarah, funnily enough that was the exact same document that I was given at my CYPOP course!

Good advice, Bunyip, I will add to my RA. Part of my concern is that Mrs O at my pre-reg mentioned asking a Fire Safety Officer about exiting from the upper floors. In anticipation of a first graded inspection within a few months, I'm trying to get everything sorted so I don't have a last minute panic (or a heart attack if I get an unannounced inspection lol!)

**EmmaReed84** · 04-09-2013, 07:33 PM

Have you considered asking your local fire station if you could do a visit there with the children?

I do this every year around about the time of Bonfire night. Me and another two childminders go with all our children. We sit in a room where they demonstrate all the uniform, and get properly dressed up in all the kit. The fire officers asks the children questions, then asked the children to ask them questions.

Also, we have been very lucky as each time we have gone they have done their very own "drill" as a display for us! We stand against the wall, the "call comes in" the sirens go off, they go out the front then drive round the back, shouting and doing their thing. While the fire fighters are "putting out the fire" the officer explains what they are practicing! They then let the children play with the hoses, look around the engines.

Afterwards the children are given certificates, and loads of work books, colouring books, stickers and every thing... The children were also even allowed to get dressed in some of the uniform! I have some photos on my website.

When we are there, we always check things out, ask questions and we have been given so much stuff to keep. Mrs O saw it and was impressed. I think by going to the fire station it opens your eyes a bit more and you think what you can do, or put in place... Plus it is an amazing day out!

**sing-low** · 04-09-2013, 07:36 PM

Emma, that sounds fantastic! Will definitely see if I can arrange that although probably not with my current LO who doesn't like loud noises and burst into tears the other day when my DD blew her nose!!!!!

**bunyip** · 05-09-2013, 07:32 AM

Downloads here Fire Safety « UK Fire Service Resources might be of use. Paper copies should be available from your fire station.

I tin the fire service would at least give you generic advice on exiting the upper floors, which you can then make specific to your own premises.

**sing-low** · 05-09-2013, 06:31 PM

I now have a letter from the Fire and Rescue Service stating that I am at low risk etc etc. And a variety of "Fire Prevention Basics" leaflets. Yay, more reading material!

**tigwig** · 05-09-2013, 09:01 PM

Mine were fantastic. I was having problems with one of my smoke alarms and as soon as I told them they were here within the hour and fitted a new one and checked the house all free. I live in a 4 bedroom 3 storey house too so quite a few rooms lol.

**Mouse** · 05-09-2013, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by bunyip

My local Fire & Rescue Service has also stopped doing home visits unless you're in an "at risk" group. )

We're in a high risk group as we have 5 children! I had a letter recently telling me that I could have a fire safety check because of it. I think it's in response to fatal house fires in recent years which involved lots of children.

**carol cameron** · 06-09-2013, 07:28 AM

I have never had a fire fighter do a safety check done in my house and don't know any childminders who have ! After 16 years childminding and numerous inspections I think it would have been picked up on if it was a problem. try not to orry and just do your own RA.