Press Release

Fire Brigade and Homes for Islington team up for improved community fire safety

May 2008

London Fire Brigade (LFB) has teamed up with Homes for Islington (HFI) to protect some of the borough’s most vulnerable residents from fire.

So far this partnership has led to more than 600 HFI tenants being referred to the Brigade for a Home Fire Safety Visit.

HFI is currently undertaking decent homes work on Islington’s housing stock to meet the Government’s Decent Homes standard by 2010. By working together HFI and the Brigade have been able to utilise this work to deliver on the Brigade’s home fire safety work.

As part of this work, contractors are being asked to refer those properties most at risk from fire to the Brigade so they can be prioritised for a Home Fire Safety Visit.

To enable them to do this, the Brigade has provided HFI with a check-list for use by HFI’s building contractors, outlining seven key factors that indicate occupants to be at a higher than average risk from fire.

Those factors include whether or not the home is fitted with a working smoke alarm, whether anyone in the home smokes and whether any of the occupants would be incapable of escaping a fire without help.

Islington Borough Commander Peter Cowup said: “This is an excellent example of how London Fire Brigade is working in partnership with other organisations and agencies in the borough to reduce the risk from fires, fire deaths and fire injuries.

“The particularly pleasing thing about our partnership with Homes for Islington and the contractors is that by informing them what to look for we are able to effectively target our Home Fire Safety visits at those groups we know to be at the greatest risk of fire. The hard work of both Homes for Islington and their contractors in making this initiative a success is greatly appreciated by the Brigade.”

Eamon McGoldrick, Chief Executive of HFI said: “We have been delighted to work with the London Fire Brigade on this project. Whilst undertaking our Decent Homes programme we have taken the opportunity to bring an additional element of improved safety to some of our most vulnerable tenants. We are looking forward to continued close working for the benefit of all our residents.”

The Brigade is also working with HFI to reduce unnecessary call outs to fire alarms and people stuck in lifts (PSIL). Reducing the number of unnecessary call outs to fire alarms has been achieved through educating residents and improving the management of fire alarm systems.

Joint working in relation to PSIL incidents has in some areas enabled HFI to make changes to lift maintenance schedules or bring forward the replacement of some lifts to reduce the number of lift breakdowns. Using LFB incident information has allowed HFI to concentrate more on the most unreliable lifts and to improve the quality of service received by the tenants.

ENDS

For further information contact London Fire Brigade press office on 020 8356 5922, E-mail: press@london-fire.gov.uk

For HFI media enquiries please contact James Asser in the HFI communications team on 020 7527 4379 or for urgent out-of-hours enquiries 07904 051 622 or email james.asser@homesforislington.org.uk

Notes to editors:

1. Home fire safety visits are available to all Londoners and can be arranged by calling 08000 28 44 28 or emailing smokealarms@london-fire.gov.uk

2. Local firefighters will then visit by appointment, talk about fire risks and fit free smoke alarms if they are needed.

3. Homes for Islington, one of the UK’s largest arms length management organisations (ALMO), which began operations in April 2004, is charged with managing council housing stock throughout the borough. It is owned by Islington Council and managed by a board of directors, made up of Islington tenants and leaseholders, council representatives and independent members.