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29 March 2007
The number of accidental fire deaths in West Yorkshire has fallen to 10 this year.
Local fire chiefs have been driving down preventable fire deaths for the past decade but believed 15 to be a realistic aim for 2006/7.
Chief Fire Officer Phil Toase is adamant that a single preventable fire death is intolerable but said long-term trends proved that West Yorkshire’s community fire safety work was bearing fruit.
“We are now carrying out nearly 60,000 free home fire safety checks a year, and fitting over 90,000 smoke alarms,” said Mr. Toase. “To put it very simply: working smoke alarms and other targeted safety measures save lives.”
By 2013 it is hoped to complete initial or return visits to approximately 450,000 households across the county.
Councillor Gordon Beever, who chairs West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, said that overall expenditure for 2006/7 was £89.9m., with almost £70m. (78 per cent) of this being spent directly on front line firefighting and fire safety. Major schemes in the pipeline included a unique, interactive fire safety education centre based at the old Bramley Fire Station and new fire stations for north east Wakefield.
“We are proud of our tradition of providing excellent value for money and maintain the momentum of progress whilst having the second lowest expenditure per head of population in the country,” said Councillor Beever.
“Hopefully, the people we serve think we’re doing a decent job because between April 2006 and the end of February we received 195 formal compliments and just 50 complaints.”
Complaints are on a downward trend and almost all are resolved at the initial stage.
Many of the themes and statistics highlighted above are illustrated in the Authority’s Best Value Performance Plan Summary 2007/8 which is published tomorrow. To obtain a copy contact 01274 655801 or details can be viewed on the web-site www.westyorksfire.gov.uk. Copies will shortly be available from fire stations, in libraries and in other places such as GP surgeries.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Stephen Hardy, PR Unit, (01274)
655807 or 655717