A community clean up event has taken place on an estate in Chesterfield to help reduce the risk of fire in blocks of flats.
Representatives from Chesterfield Borough Council’s housing service and Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service joined residents living in the council owned flats on the Flamsteed estate on Wednesday 20 November for a day of tidying up.
Skips were provided by the council to allow tenants to clear our communal cupboards on the ground floor and clear their balconies from clutter, as well as another household items that were no longer needed. This saw the removal of a number of potential fire hazards and will help to reduce the risk of fire in the blocks.
A skip was filled with items chairs, mattresses and broken electrical items, with any suitable items set to be recycled.
Residents also had the opportunity to speak to council and fire service representatives to find out more on the steps they can take to reduce the risk of fire in their homes, and help keep themselves and their neighbours safe.
Councillor Jean Innes, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing, was on hand to help out on the day. She said: “The safety of all our tenants is our key priority and we can all play our part in reducing the risk of fire, particularly if you live in a flat.
“Our environment officers regularly visit our blocks of flats to identify hazards and check emergency equipment is working as it should, but it’s important that we work together with our tenants to make sure they are aware of fire safety advice to keep themselves and their neighbours safe.
“This event was a great opportunity for our tenants to learn more about fire safety, whilst also giving them a chance to clear out any items that could have been a potential fire risk. We also offered advice to tenants on what they could and could not store in the communal cupboards to reduce help the risk of fire.
“I’d like to thank the team at Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service for supporting us and coming along to speak to our tenants.”
Julie Crooks, Risk Reduction Manager for Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The best way to keep yourself and your neighbours safe from fire is to take steps to help reduce the risk of a fire breaking out in the first place.
“We hope that by working in partnership with Chesterfield Borough Council to provide tenants with an opportunity to act by disposing of any unused or unwanted items which could pose a potential fire hazard and by sharing fire safety advice then we can help keep our communities safe at home and prevent fires from occurring.”
More information on fire safety, including in blocks of flats.
