Care home campaign

Care homes in Rochdale are now more informed about fire safety thanks to a campaign by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS).

Residential care home owners and senior managers recently attended awareness sessions provided by Fire Safety Offices Keith Richmond and Jon Hill.

The aim of the campaign was to directly target the responsible person or people of the care homes to ensure that they are fully aware of their duties and responsibility under the Fire Safety Order 2005.

During the campaign, presentations featured a case study about the tragic incident at Rose Park Care home in South Lanarkshire where a fire claimed the lives of 14 residents in 2004.

The presentations also covered the hazards associated with care homes such as the use of air inflated mattresses, oxygen cylinders and e-cigarettes.

GMFRS Station Manager Paul Whittaker said: “We used the Rose Park incident to show people what can go wrong, highlight the potential for a fire and explain what is expected of them if a fire does occur.

“The officers promoted and delivered events over a number of sessions, clearly explaining fire safety breaches in an easy to understand format – and they received an excellent response.

“The half day sessions covered requirements for fire risk assessments, evacuations procedures, emergency action plans, staff training, sprinkler and mist systems, as well as information relating to people at increased risk of fire.”