Fire Safety

In the year ending December 2019:

• There were 237 fire-related fatalities compared with 262 in the previous year (a decrease of 10%). Fire-related fatalities have been on a downward trend since the 1980s, but have fluctuated in recent years. The statistics do not specifically provide data on how many children/young people died through fire related fatalities.
• There were 191 fire-related fatalities in dwelling fires, compared with 200 in the previous year.
• There were 7,021 non-fatal casualties, virtually unchanged compared with 7,025 in the previous year. Of these, 3,026 were casualties requiring hospital treatment, a four per cent decrease compared with the 3,144 in the previous year.

Whilst there has been a steady decline in fire related fatalities, that is not to say we should discontinue with fire safety education.

• Free fire safety education is available to children in primary schools within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough through interactive educational workshops in schools and at fire stations
• Operational staff members use their training, experience and expertise to deliver fire safety messages in a sensitive and reassuring way to ensure children understand the importance of home fire safety without becoming unduly worried about a fire happening in their home.
• The workshops are also carefully managed to reduce the risk of the children’s natural curiosity about fire developing into an interest in deliberately lighting fires. The focus is on teaching young people about preventing, detecting and escaping safely from fire in the home.
• The skills and knowledge gained during the free educational workshops can be used by young people throughout their lives and into adulthood.
• The children are encouraged to share these important messages with their friends and families, helping to make them safer from fire in the home too.
• Each primary school workshop lasts approximately 60 minutes and pupils work in small groups to complete a variety of activities with a focus on audience participation.
• The details about the content and delivery of the workshop are negotiated and confirmed individually with each school.
• Consideration is given to any additional special needs requirements to ensure the workshop can be adapted to allow every pupil to fully participate in the learning.

• The fire education for secondary school students can be delivered either at an assembly or in a classroom; the duration can be adapted to suit the requirements of the school. The topics include the consequences of arson and a specific education scheme is run around water safety.
• Before the visit schools are contacted to confirm arrangements and the style of delivery preferred with consideration given to any additional special needs requirements to allow every student to fully participate in the learning.