Kilrush Town Council & Clare County Council Launch Fire Safety Initiative

PRLog (Press Release) – Oct 26, 2007 – The 'Fire Safety In The Home' initiative is being rolled out on a pilot basis and will initially involve 45 households in a number of areas throughout the town on the week commencing 4th November 2007.  

Commenting on the initiative, Mayor of Kilrush Councillor Tommy Clyne stated, "The initiative is part of ongoing efforts by Clare Local Authorities to improve the overall Fire Safety in the home.  Sadly, the number of incidences of fire in Clare remains unacceptably high, which is why I would encourage householders to use their own initiative to learn and do more about fire prevention in the home."

The launch of the new scheme coincides with the release of new figures indicating a slight drop in the number of incidences attended by the County Fire and Rescue Service in Kilrush in 2006.  Approximately 126 emergency calls were made from Kilrush to the Fire and Rescue Service last year, representing a 5.5% decrease on figures for 2005.  

According to Adrian Kelly, Chief Fire Officer, County Fire and Rescue Service, "Fire statistics from recent years reveal a continued high rate of chimney and domestic fires. The key to reducing such incidences is to increased fire safety awareness among householders.  I welcome the launch of this new initiative, as it will assist the public in preventing incidences of fire in their homes."

The new Programme follows on from a similar initiative in Ennis, which focused on approximately 70 houses in the McHugh Villas and Turnpike areas of the town.  Where necessary, smoke detectors were also provided by the County Fire & Rescue Service.

"The objective of this initiative is to reduce the incidence of chimney fires in Kilrush during the winter period, which is a peak time of year for chimney fires", added Fiona Mooney, Kilrush Town Clerk.

Ms. Mooney continued, "This initiative will result in greater awareness of fire hazards in the home with a reduction in the risk of injury/loss of life and should minimise property damage from fire related incidents.  This initiative will have a positive impact on use of resources of the Fire & Rescue Service in Kilrush Town and should lead to further enhancement of quality of life for local residents."

A total of 126 emergency calls were made to Kilrush Fire Station in 2006. The breakdown of calls made to other stations around Clare during 2006 is as follows: Kilkee (80 up 43% on 2005), Shannon (238 up 3% on 2005), Ennistymon (132 up 6% on 2005), Scariff (71 up 6% on 2005), Killaloe (72 up 6% on 2005), and Ennis (569 up 20% on 2005).

The calls made countywide during 2006 break down into the following incident types: Chimney Fire (263 up 12% on 2002), Domestic Fire (91 up 12% on 2002), Fire On Other Premises (53 up 23% on 2002), Road Traffic Accidents (217 up 289% on 2002), Aircraft (13 up 18% on 2002), Other Rescues (14 down 12.5% on 2002), Outdoor Fires (264 up 197% on 2002), Motor Vehicle Fires (101 up 74% on 2002), Miscellaneous (79 down 53% on 2002), False Alarms – Malicious (88 down 59% on 2002), and False Alarms - Good Intent (96 down 28% on 2002)

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:
To arrange an interview please contact Mark Dunphy of Dunphy Public Relations on 086-8534900 or email media@dunphypr.com.

Mark Dunphy
Dunphy Public Relations
Clonboula,
Connolly,
Ennis,
County Clare
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