This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Fire safety awareness campaign
10/09/2003
The Executive and the Scottish Fire
Service today launched a new national advertising campaign
which aims to tackle public complacency toward fire
prevention.
Despite being three times more likely
to die in a domestic fire in Scotland than their neighbours
in England and Wales, research shows Scots aren't being
switched on to fire safety messages.
To drive home the message that it
could happen to you, three new 20 second TV commercials
branded
Don't Give Fire A Home will be broadcast
over the next four weeks and again during the festive
period.
Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry
said:
"Complacency kills and that is the sad
fact in terms of domestic fire in Scotland. The purpose of
the campaign being launched today is to increase public
awareness of fire safety issues in an effort to drive down
fire fatalities.
"Scotland has an appalling record of
fire fatalities. Just because your house is fitted with a
smoke alarm doesn't mean you can forget about fire.
You may think that a smoke alarm will save
your family but every year the fire service attend fatal
house fires where smoke alarms were fitted but perhaps
where the battery was flat or removed.
"Many of us don't relate to the
familiar chip pan fire image because we don't think that
scenario will ever happen to us and we put fire from our
minds. But the chilling reality is that you are more likely
to suffer a house fire in Scotland than be burgled.
"The subject matter of the three 20
second TV commercials that are being launched today sets
out to challenge our complacency.
They feature very ordinary situations in
Scottish homes where the message is that "fire prevention
is in your hands".
"The commercials depict fire being
caused by seemingly harmless items - a mobile phone
charger, a candle or a pair of hair tongs. Simple household
appliances that, if not used properly, could reek dire
consequences if we don't heed the message -
Don't Give Fire A Home."
One hundred and three people died in
fires in Scotland in 2001.
In the same year there were 59,400 fires.
Between 1992 and 2001 the total number of
Scottish fires increased by 14 per cent.