Reaching out to Rutherglen

Latest leg of home fire safety tour

STRATHCLYDE Fire & Rescue's home safety tour hits Rutherglen today, with the aim of encouraging visitor's to the town's Tesco to ensure their homes are properly protected from the risk of fire.

The ten-day tour, which features the contents of a burned-out living room,  aims to highlight just how devastating a fire can be and the importance of having working, regularly tested  smoke alarms installed in the home. After kicking off in Parkhead's Forge centre on Monday and visiting the Clydebank Shopping Centre yesterday, the tour will also visit shopping venues in  Pollok and Paisley this week.

Lewis Ramsay, Strathclyde Fire & Rescue's Assistant Chief Officer and Director of Community Safety, said:

"Fire can happen to anyone at anytime.  That's why as part of this tour we're urging people at risk across Strathclyde to ensure they have the right protection in place should the worst happen.

 "A Home Fire Safety Visit is a quick and easy way to make sure your home is safe.  It only takes around 20 minutes and involves fire service staff making sure you have sufficient smoke alarms that are installed correctly.  If necessary, they will install new smoke alarms free of charge."

Watch Commander Eddie Kelly, who is working on the tour, added:

"The public response to the tour so far has been fantastic, and we're looking forward to more busy days ahead. Putting burned-out furniture on display really illustrates the devastating effects fire can have, and hopefully makes people think about the steps they've taken to reduce the risk of fire in their home.

"We can arrange a home fire safety visit for you quickly and easily, and this tour is a great way of getting out into the communities we serve and spreading the message that smoke alarms can save the lives of you and your family."

As well as talking to our staff on the tour, you can call 0800 0731 999, text FIRE to 61611 or use our website  to contact us for a free Home Fire Safety Visit.  For additional fire safety advice, visit www.dontgivefireahome.org