Mayo fire stations open days as part of national fire safety week

Mayo Fire Service is planning a busy week as part of National Fire Safety Week 2014 (October 6-12), with two stations holding open days this Thursday.

National Fire Safety Week is run jointly with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and is about enhancing fire safety, particularly in the home. This year's theme is ‘Together We Can S.T.O.P. Fire’. The campaign is aimed at prompting older people directly (and, separately, influencers) to take protective fire safety action.

The message regarding fire prevention and fire safety is as relevant today as it ever was. There are still homes with no smoke alarms. Vulnerable members of our community should not be overlooked. Most people who die in fires, die from smoke inhalation and not from burns and it can take as little as three minutes to die from smoke inhalation.

A routine fire safety check only takes a few minutes but could mean the difference between life and death. Have a fire escape plan, teach it to your family and practice it regularly.

Mayo County Council, through its fire service, has always taken an active role in the programming of events for this special week. Firefighters and senior fire officers work together to try and promote the fire safety message.

OPEN DAYS

Details of the Mayo Fire Station open days are as follows:

Ballina Fire Station, Thursday, October 9, 10am-1pm and 2-4pm.

Castlebar Fire Station, Thursday, October 9, 10am-1pm and 2-4pm.

As part of open day in Castlebar Fire Station there will be a simulated chip pan fire demonstration carried out by the retained fire service personnel. The demonstrations will be carried out at 12 noon and 3.30pm respectively.

During the open days local fire officers will be in attendance to offer advice in relation to fire safety.

For more information, go to www.firesafetyweek.ie.