After a tragic house fire took the lives of three children in Singleton recently, the Tamworth fire brigade are stepping up its community engagement with sole aim of preventing more tragedies.
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Northern Region commander Tom Cooper said "after that Singleton fire the local brigades have re-jigged the home fire safety checks to be home fire safety visits instead."
"Basically we will do a letterbox drop a few days before to say we will be visiting, and then we will blitz the street to check hydrants and door knock the houses to do a complete check of the home," he said.
"We will certainly be targeting the most vulnerable communities in the region, and those where we respond to a lot of fires, although the program will be rolled-out for the entire community."
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The home safety checks will see fireys checking, changing the batteries, and installing smoke alarms, talking to people about cooking habits, make sure outdoor cooking facilities aren't used inside, checking stoves, ovens, heaters and electric blankets, as well as a host of other tips and checks.
"Little things like turning playstations off when not in use, not overloading power points or power boards and checking BBQ's can all make the community safer and prevent fires," Supt Cooper said.
"Years ago this was just done for elderly people, but now it is available for anyone who has concerns for fire safety, or even people that aren't confident to get up a ladder and check an alarm - just give your local station a call."
The Home visit program will be launched at The Youthie in Coledale at 10.30am on September 10, "for anyone who wants to come along and learn about what we do, or talk to us about fire safety."
On September 8 the city will celebrate 50 years of the West Tamworth Fire Station with a parade down Peel Street. including a host of vintage trucks, equipment and uniforms for the entire community to enjoy.
