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Partnership to improve fire safety
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| Monday 13th December 2010 |
One of Cornwall's leading social housing providers has signed a unique safety pact with the county's fire and rescue service.
The agreement - the first of its kind in Cornwall - will ensure the highest safety standards for all Coastline Housing tenants and their families.
It means that in future staff at Camborne-based Coastline and contractors will work with firefighters and receive training to help them take on increased responsibility for home safety visits, raising awareness among householders of the dangers surrounding fire and offering practical advice on prevention measures.
The agreement was signed on Thursday December 9 and if the scheme proves a success, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service will roll it out to other social housing agencies in the county.
Chief Fire Officer at Cornwall Fire and Rescue, Des Tidbury said, "Our main mission is to make Cornwall a safer place and protect vulnerable communities such as the elderly and people with disabilities.
"Our aim with Coastline is to assist and provide support to members of the community to make sure we can keep them as safe as possible. We are trialling this service with Coastline to see whether schemes such as this work for the benefit of the community and maximise limited resources," said Mr Tidbury.
For the past 18 months, 50 specially-trained Coastline employees have been carrying out fire safety visits to its tenants' homes, providing advice and guidance as part of a pilot scheme.
Coastline Chief Executive Robert Nettleton said, "We are delighted to be the first housing association to form the agreement with Cornwall Fire and Rescue service, and, investing in the training of around a quarter of our staff, we believe it will be of great benefit to our tenants and customers.
"At this time of year especially, with the cuts and recent spending review on our shoulders, it is important that we join forces where we can and keep our tenants' needs and safety at the forefront of what we do."
Cornwall Council cabinet member for community safety Lance Kennedy said: "This is another example of how Cornwall Council is working with partners to improve the service whilst driving down costs. Public health and safety is one of my absolute priorities and I hope to extend this scheme if it works well.″
Mark England, Coastline Housing's Head of Technical Services who has been working with the Fire and Rescue Service to set up the partnership agreement said: "This is the first and only type of agreement of its kind with any housing association in Cornwall and clearly demonstrates Coastline's commitment to fire safety." |
| Posted by 0 for Coastline Housing Ltd. |
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