Home safety checks 'save money as well as lives'

UNDER-THREAT home safety visits carried out by firefighters save the public and private sector more than £11.5 million a year, new documents show.

In 2010 the amount of cash saved from potential injury and damage through installing smoke alarms and educating residents jumped from 8.4m to 11.6m.

The financial savings are based on the potential cost of a variety of things including hospital and medical costs, firefighter pay, call-out costs, absence from work and insurance payouts.

The report by Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service makes a strong case for keeping up the visits - something that could be under threat in light of a 1.1m budget cut from April 2011.

In addition to the financial boost, the report shows that the measures have resulted in 16 per cent fewer accidental fires, 17 per cent fewer casualties and 56 per cent fewer fire fatalities in the past two years.

Lothian and Borders spends almost 700,000 on the programme annually.

David Mallin, head of community safety, said that although the service would be affected, it would only be on an administrative level rather than practical day-to-day workings.

He said: "The 2.6 per cent decrease in the budget means we are going to be affected, but we will continue to offer the service free of charge.

"We will target resources most effectively, making sure to help those at high risk. We plan to prioritise help for those who need it most using consumer data. For example, we won't just knock on doors from now on, we'll identify those with a risk profile from data that lets us know if a resident is living alone, elderly etc."

He added: "The case for maintaining the programme is clear. This doesn't just benefit the fire service or the individual, it benefits everybody from the NHS to social services and prevents a lot of misery.

"Anybody who doesn't have a fire alarm can get in touch with us and we'll visit them for free."

A fire service spokeswoman said: "The home safety visit programme has been hugely beneficial. It's a free service available to everyone living in our area. We believe every home should have a working smoke detector, it gives vital protection by giving people early warning if fire breaks out.

"Firefighters can also help prepare an escape plan and help people identify and remedy particular fire risks in their own home. We would encourage people to call and book a visit on 0800-169 0320."