Find a firefighter this Electrical Fire Safety Week

Members of the team at Chichester Fire Station, dressed as an everyday electronic device, will be out and about in Chichester this week until Friday.

Photos will be posted to Chichester Fire Station’s Facebook page. Those who share the post and name the location will be entered into a special draw for a surprise prize, details of which will be announced at the end of the week.

The crew will be at Portfield Retail Park, near John Lewis, from 9am to 3pm on Friday, handing out safety tips and tricks to keep your home safe, make sure you visit them to get all the safety information you need.

Chichester’s crew will be supported by colleagues from West Sussex County Council’s Waste Services which will ensure that residents also have access to advice about the safe disposal of electrical goods, including batteries which can pose a serious fire threat to both refuse lorries and waste facilities.

Carl Halewood, watch manager who has been organising the initiative, said: “We wanted to do something a little different in the hope that it might capture people’s attention and help more residents learn about the electrical fire risks in their home. We’re delighted that Waste Services will be joining us to add to the information on offer and we would like to say a huge thank you to John Lewis, Portfield for supporting our event.”

Elsewhere in the county, fire crews in Littlehampton, Bognor Regis and Shoreham will also be out and about promoting good electrical safety practices through the week.

These activities are all in aid of Electrical Fire Safety Week, taking place from November 20 to 26, which is a national awareness week to increase understanding of electrical fire risks and the simple steps that people can take to avoid a devastating fire in their homes.

More than half of all accidental house fires are caused by electricity, and nine out of ten electrical fires are caused by electrical products.

For more information and safety advice on electrical fires, visit the Electrical Safety First website at www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guides-and-advice/around-the-home/fire-safety.