Stay safe on St Patrick's Day

On the 17 March when traditionally many people in the borough celebrate St Patrick’s Day, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service want you to remember your safety!

Greater Manchester’s Chief Fire Officer, Steve McGuirk said: “We want everyone to have a fun time if they celebrate St Patrick’s Day – don’t let an accidental fire make it memorable for the wrong reasons, it only takes a moments distraction to cause a serious incident. 

“If you’ve had a drink as part of your celebration, take extra care when cooking or smoking and ensure that you have at least one working smoke alarm in your home. Following this advice could make the difference between you being here to celebrate the next St Patrick’s Day or not”.

To help reduce the chance of an accidental fire always remember the following points:

• A moments distraction when cooking or smoking could leave your home severely damaged, or put your life at risk! Take extra care when you’ve had a drink.
• Plan an escape route from your home, to be used should the unthinkable happen and make sure everyone is aware of it, including your guests or anyone sleeping over.
• Don’t smoke when you’re feeling drowsy or before you go to sleep. Ensure that cigarettes are not left unattended and are put out properly in a proper ashtray. Don’t empty ashtrays until the contents are cold.
• Take care when cooking and never leave cooking unattended when the heat is on, even for a few seconds.

In the event of a fire, get out, stay out, call us out.

The best defence against making sure an accidental fire doesn’t become a tragedy is to ensure you have a properly sited working smoke alarm – and an escape plan so that everyone in the house knows what to do if it does go off.

Anyone in Greater Manchester having concerns about fire safety in their home can arrange for a free home fire safety risk assessment on 0800 555 815 or by visiting www.manchesterfire.gov.uk