Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) launched its new online Home Fire Safety Check on Monday 30 September 2024, to mark the beginning of Fire Safety Week, which runs from 30 September to 6 October1. The service said the tool is an easy-to-follow self-assessment involving a series of questions about each room in the home, after which users receive a personalised fire action plan identifying potential causes of fire in the home with safety advice to help reduce the risk1.
NIFRS said it attended 728 house fires last year, with cooking and electricity supply the biggest causes1. The tool was developed through a partnership between the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and Safelincs and has been made available to all Fire & Rescue Services across the UK1. Fire Safety Week itself is a collaborative partnership with the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management in the Republic of Ireland to promote fire safety and help prevent fires in the home1.
Where the assessment identifies a household at greater risk, that household will be referred for an in-person Home Fire Safety Check, in which NIFRS personnel visit the home to give further practical advice on fire safety1. NIFRS directs people to its website, www.nifrs.org, to start an online check1.
Group Commander Paul Morrow of NIFRS said:
"This Fire Safety Week we're encouraging all households to complete the assessment not only for themselves but with someone they're concerned about, especially those who may not have access to the internet."
Keith Leonard, Director of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management in Ireland, speaking at the launch of Fire Safety Week hosted by Kildare Fire & Rescue, said people should be alert to hazards that could cause fire and encouraged people to follow fire safety advice, do a routine fire safety check at night and have a working smoke alarm on every level of their home1.
Why it matters for households
The check is aimed at households in Northern Ireland, where NIFRS is the fire and rescue service, and the launch falls within Fire Safety Week, which runs to 6 October 20241. NIFRS presents the assessment as a way to identify and reduce potential fire risks in the home, with the personalised plan setting out possible causes of fire and safety advice1. Households judged at greater risk through the assessment are referred for a visit from NIFRS personnel1. NIFRS also points to a clear fire escape plan and routine home safety checks, such as testing smoke alarms and unplugging sockets as part of a bedtime routine, and to understanding causes of fire in the home such as smoking, cooking and electrics1. The service encourages households to complete the assessment with someone they are concerned about, especially those who may not have access to the internet1. Our Fire Safety Checklist for Your Home sets out the checks householders can make, and our guide to Wales and Northern Ireland: Alarm Rules and Fire Services covers alarm requirements and the fire services in Northern Ireland; both sit within the home emergencies section.
What happens next
Fire Safety Week runs until 6 October 20241. The online Home Fire Safety Check is available from NIFRS at www.nifrs.org1. No closing date for the tool, and no figures for take-up, have been reported1.
Home Fire Safety Checklist
