Friday 16 November 2007
11.00hrs
Students living in university halls of residence across Bristol
and Bath will be getting free information packs on fire safety
courtesy of Avon Fire & Rescue Service's Student Advocates.
To coincide with Fire Safety Week, the packs, which include tea
towels, magnets and leaflets on cooking safely have been sent to
the kitchens of student halls across the area’s universities in a
bid to keep students safe, during what for many is their first time
away from the comforts of home.
And on Tuesday, students from Bath Spa University will be given
a taste of just how terrifying a kitchen fire can be, when
firefighters visit the campus to demonstrate a chip pan fire.
Students attending fresher’s fairs at the various universities
in September were also given the packs, which warn them of the
dangers of cooking when drunk and leaving cooking unattended.
Cooking is the biggest cause of fires in the Avon Fire &
Rescue Service (AF&RS) area, many of which are avoidable, said
Kaleb Debbage, AF&RS Student Advocate.
He added: “Our firefighters are regularly called out to fires
which have been the result of people either forgetting they have
cooking in the oven; by leaving cooking on the hob or by starting
to make food after coming home from the pub and then falling
asleep.
“If left to get out of hand, these fires can have devastating -
and sometimes tragic - consequences.
“While this is a service area wide problem and not just solely
linked with students, it is still crucial to target those who are
living away from home – and perhaps looking after themselves - for
the first time.”