Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is reminding the public to stay safe around bonfire night by avoiding bonfires and fireworks at home.
The safest way to enjoy bonfire night is to attend an organised display. Home bonfires and fireworks can cause incidents and injury, putting pressure on the emergency services.
Ros Clarke, group manager for prevention, said: “Bonfire night and the days surrounding it are notoriously busy for us, and also our emergency service colleagues.
“We are asking the public to be considerate of others when it comes to bonfires and...
As the weather starts to get colder, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is asking people to think about fire safety when trying to save money on their energy bills.
The service is concerned that people may put themselves at additional risk as the cost-of-living increases.
As part of a new campaign called ' Save Safely ', the service is asking people to think now about preparing for winter, by carrying out three checks:
1. Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detection
You should have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, and a carbon...
Six on-call firefighters from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service made history this week (12 April) when they completed the End Point Assessment of the operational firefighter apprenticeship. This is a national first – it is usually only wholetime firefighters who take this apprenticeship.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is breaking boundaries in offering the same training and development opportunities for both on-call and wholetime firefighters.
The first six firefighters to complete the assessments are:
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is asking the public to think twice about using disposable BBQs this holiday.
Wayne Rawlins, area manager for risk at Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue says:
“Every year we see so many preventable fires caused by disposable BBQs. They are a not only a fire risk when they’re being used, but also pose a risk when being disposed of, causing bin fires, and further damage to the environment to vegetation that has caught alight. They’re not really disposable at all.
“Last spring we attended an incident in Kingswear, Devon,...
Every one of the 121 fire engines in Devon and Somerset will soon be equipped with animal oxygen masks – thanks to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).
For a number of years, the Service has worked with the charity Smokey Paws to enable local groups and organisations to generously provide the masks to their local fire stations.
Now the RSPCA has donated 68 kits to cover all the remaining fire appliances that do not currently have one, meaning they will soon be used to revive pets in those crucial moments following a fire. These kits - which...
Over the last few weeks eight local fire stations in and around Exeter have received a donation of specially designed animal oxygen kits from a local Insurance office.
With 46% of UK households owning pets and with over 42,000 house fire in the UK alone last year, there is no wonder over two Million UK people have lost pets in fires, not to mention how many animals could come to need them in wildlife sanctuaries and rehoming centers.
LV=’s Regional Community Committee in Exeter discovered Smokey Paws, who’s aim is to provide all fire engines across the UK with specially...
Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service will be opening its doors to the public for a family open day on Sunday 6 August.
Everyone is welcome to come along to learn more about the work of firefighters and how they can make their homes safer. The event is to be held at Service Headquarters, near Exeter, on Sunday 6 August, 10am-4pm.
Funds will be raised for Hospiscare Exmouth & Lympstone and the Fire Fighters Charity. There will be lots for all the family to see and do, including:
• Safety advice and demonstrations • BBQ • Fireman Sam Shop • Face painting...
Motorists are being asked to help save lives by lending their support to My Red Thumb Day (Thursday 11 May).
The annual campaign highlights the dangers of driving and riding while using hand-held mobile devices. To coincide with the day, #MyRedThumb has launched a new road safety video which aims to encourage passengers to speak out against drivers using their phones in order to help reduce the risk of a crash.
Since being launched in Devon in 2014, My Red Thumb Day has gone on to become a national event. This year it is hoped that thousands of people will show their...
Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service remind you to make sure your chimneys are safe and clean as possible, especially if you own a thatched property. Last year the fire service attended a total of 26 thatched fires of these, 23 were chimney fires and three were thatch roof fires.
According to English Heritage the number of thatched properties listed in Devon and Somerset is 5,916.
Marc House, Community Safety Prevention Manager said: “Fire in a thatched roof is difficult to detect and once started is difficult to control. Once a fire has taken hold within a roof...
A phone charger started a fire which caused significant damage to an Exmouth teenager’s bedroom in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Fire crews were called to St Margaret’s View at 1.19am and extinguished the fire in a first floor bedroom using a hose reel jet. The room was damaged by fire, heat and smoke.
The girl had seen a fire in the corner of the room and woke the rest of the family. Her mother closed the door of the bedroom and the family were able to leave the house.
Station Manager Nigel Deasy, of Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, said: “...
