Support for older people in winter

The 'Treasured People' campaign with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is dedicated to supporting older people in our community as we head into the winter months.
Of all the incidents Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service attends, 40% are false alarms. Fire statistics indicate that false alarms are a warning indicator of a future fire.
Across Devon and Somerset, over 65s are most at risk of fire and having a false alarm. Unfortunately, we also see more injuries from house fires and more injuries, resulting in hospitalisation for people in this group.
Steve Fisher, Crew Manager for Prevention at Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Our aim is to reduce fire risk in our communities. As part of our ‘Treasured people’ campaign, we are encouraging people to take action to check-in with someone they know to keep people fire safe.
"The fire service already does a great deal of prevention work with our most vulnerable communities, but we need help to reach everyone.
"If you have a loved ones, family or neighbours who live independently, but may need some extra support, please visit them and take some time to check they are fire safe this winter”.
Doing three simple things can make a big difference to someone you care about this winter:
1. Check their smoke alarms are working – clean the grill, test them, and make sure they are in the right place.
2. Speak to them about kitchen safety - over half of the fires the Service attends start in the kitchen.
3. Do our online home safety check with them to identify the fire risks in their home.
Visit the Service website for more information about what you can cover to keep someone safe from fire.
The ‘Treasured people’ winter safety campaign will run until January 31 2024. The Service Prevention team will engage with people over 65 at coffee mornings, fire safety talks, and community groups across Devon at Somerset. They will also be on hand to offer advice and share practical tips to reduce fires, such as 'always use a cooking timer'.
Devon & Somerset Fire & RescueService says: We are here to protect and save. We work with our communities and partners to prevent emergencies, to make people safer in their homes, their places of work and where they visit.
“When emergencies happen we will respond as quickly as possible in order to help people and save lives. We protect 820,000 households, 74,000 businesses and a further 1.1 million visitors a year.”