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Families urged to make fire safety plans following 2017 fatalities report

written by Rachel McLaughlin July 31, 2018
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Forty-one people died in fire-related incidents attended by Irish Fire Brigades last year, according to the 2017 Fatalities for Fire Report. 

This figure is more than double the number of deaths in 2016, when 20 people lost their lives in domestic fires.

Two people in Donegal tragically died in housefires in 2017.

Retired schoolteacher Gerry McCabe, who was in his 70s, died following a small fire at his home at Iskaeen near Muff in March 2017. The annual report by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government said that the smoke alarm was not working in Mr McCabe’s home.

Sadie Gill, aged 94, perished when a fire broke out in the kitchen of her Buncrana home last December. The fatalities report said that no smoke alarm was present in Ms Gill’s home.

Nationally, the 2017 report found that all but two fatal fires occurred within homes and there was no smoke detector located in over half of the domestic fatal fires.

Families across the country are being urged to discuss fire safety and develop a family fire safety plan following the release of these statistics.

Speaking about fire safety in the home, PhoneWatch MD Eoin Dunne said “Our thoughts go out to those families who have been affected by a fire in the home. While a fire in the home is always an upsetting event, it becomes an unspeakable tragedy when there is a loss of life. Thankfully fatal fires remain a relatively rare occurrence in Ireland.

Mr. Dunne highlighted the increased fire risks within homes, “It is striking that the vast majority of fatal fires occur in the home. That is why it is essential that every family actively plans for their fire safety while at home.

“Shops, offices and restaurants will all have comprehensive fire safety plans, however the same is not true for most households.”

PhoneWatch is urging families across Ireland to put a fire safety plan in place for their own homes. Key steps to doing so include:

  1. Install Smoke Detectors: Ensure you have an adequate number of working smoke detectors. Make sure that these are in the right location, and will wake you if you are asleep. Remember a monitored alarm is the only way to ensure that the alarm will be raised if you are incapacitated.
  2. Test Detectors: Make sure you test the battery in your smoke detectors once a week
  1. Plan your Escape: Use the PhoneWatch Fire Escape Plan, to map your home and the escape routes. Keep your plan in a visible place in your home and ensure all in the home are aware of it.
  1. Fire Drill: Discuss your escape route with children and practise it at least twice a year.
  2. Be careful: Avoid the obvious dangers such as leaving flames unattended, and overloading plug sockets.
Families urged to make fire safety plans following 2017 fatalities report was last modified: July 31st, 2018 by Rachel McLaughlin
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Rachel McLaughlin

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