Winter Warm Campaign

Background

The Winter Warm campaign was originally launched three years ago in Knowsley. However, due to its continued success and popularity, the initiative was launched across the whole of Merseyside in 2007. The campaign is organised and developed by the Fire Support Network, but relies on partner organisations within each of the districts to make it attractive to local communities.

 

The campaign is always run during September, and is probably one of the largest campaigns in our calendar of events.

 

The campaign was essentially designed to substantially reduce the amount of fires caused by faulty electric blankets, whilst enabling us to make contact with some of the most vulnerable members of the community.

 

How does it work?

Winter Warm encourages individuals living in Merseyside to bring along their old and used electric blankets to designated locations throughout the 5 districts of Merseyside. The electric blankets are tested free of charge by qualified professionals and if they are faulty, will be condemned and replaced free of charge. This is one of our most popular campaigns and Winter Warm 2007 saw 227 blankets being tested.

 

Winter warmer is also an opportunity for members of the public to receive free smoke alarms and Home Fire Safety Checks, provided free of charge by the Fire Service. Winter Warm 2007 encouraged 1,300 people to sign up for this fantastic service, making people safer during the winter months.

 

Aims and Objectives

The principal aim of the campaign is to encourage all sectors of the community (although principally the older generation) to:

• Become more aware of fire safety within the home, and sign up for a free ‘Home Fire Safety Check’ and free smoke alarms, provided and installed free of charge by MF&RS 
• Bring electric blankets for “PAT” testing on the understanding that if they are condemned they will be replaced free of charge
• Take advantage of the limited number of Carbon Monoxide detectors we are able to give away.
• Understand the range of services which are available to everyone via the Fire Service and the Fire Support Network.

Our main aim is to increase the number of fire safe homes throughout Merseyside and to encourage more people who don’t have smoke detectors installed in their homes to take advantage of the free service which is available to them.

 

Partner Organisations and Funding

In order to make the campaign viable and of local interest, it is essential that we work with local partners. We have therefore identified suitable partners in each of the districts and contacted them to determine their willingness to contribute – either by making a financial contribution or with gifts in kind. Many of our partners attend the events, put on displays and distribute leaflets and information. Our partners for 2008 include previous contributors as well as introducing new organisations as the area covered has increased.

 

Partners are:

• Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
• Help the Aged
• Knowsley Housing Trust
• Wirral Partnership Homes
• Riverside Housing
• Maritime Housing
• Helena Housing
• ASDA
• The Energy Efficiency Team
• The “I Know a Man Who Can” team 
• Community Fire Safety
• Knowsley Carers Centre

For further information about the Winter Warm Campaign please contact: Karen Lavery via email at karenlavery@merseyfire.gov.uk or call 07971540662.

 

If you feel that you can contribute as a partner organisation please contact: Isabelle Walker via email at isabellewalker@merseyfire.gov.uk or call 07837 113330

 

If you would like to register as a volunteer to support this campaign please contact: Sue Hannigan via email at suehannigan@merseyfire.gov.uk 0151 296 4600

Sparc Campaign

SPARC is a campaign aimed at young children and teenagers in a bid to reduce malicious fires in green spaces and to promote diversionary activities based around health and fitness. The campaign is held during the school holidays and children are invited to take part in a number of activities in their local parks such as Street Cage Soccer, rounders and climbing walls, to name a few.

 

The campaign consists of a number of activities including a “Design a T-shirt” competition. The design becomes the forefront of the initiative as the design is printed on posters, t-shirts and other promotional items and widely distributed throughout the length of the campaign. The design is used until the launch of the competition the following year. This not only engages the younger age brackets in junior schools, but also, instills the Fire Setting Safety message.

 

Each event is attended by firefighters, police, Volunteers and young people. The basis of this campaign is to promote play and enhance community cohesion to reduce anti-social behaviour and malicious attacks against fire fighters and fire setting.

 

We hold this event in the following areas: Wirral, Sefton, St Helens, Knowsley and Liverpool. If you feel that your community would benefit from a SPARC event being held in your area, please contact: Karen Lavery via email at karenlavery@merseyfire.gov.uk or call 07971540662. We are keen to hear from community leaders and representatives so that we are tackling real issues.

 

Alternatively, if you have any questions or queries about the SPARC campaign, please contact Karen on the details above.

The World Firefighters Games

The World Firefighter Games is a biennial competition in which firefighters and their families from all over the world compete in numerous and varied sporting events.

 

The Liverpool World Firefighter Games 2008 was held from the 24th August – 3rd September 2008. The Games included a variety of sport, some serious, some not so serious and whilst the emphasis is on participation, competition is fierce. The last time the Games were held in the UK, two British national records were broken. This is the 10th Games and previous hosts include big cities such as Las Vegas, Sydney and Paris, usually attracting in the region of 5,000 competitors.

 

The participation of Volunteers in the delivery of the Games was essential. It would not have been feasible to hold these games without the major involvement of Volunteers to provide much of the help and support required. It was a fundamental requirement of the Games that there must be a lasting legacy for the people of Merseyside. One of the most important ways of delivering this is through volunteering. Consequently the recruitment of Volunteers was not  confined to just sports enthusiasts but to the whole of the community with people from all marginalised groups being actively sought. There was a particular focus on encouraging young people from all over Merseyside to take part. The  Gamesr equired between 1,500 and 2,000 Volunteers to make them a success. Volunteer roles dincluded helping Event Managers to set up and take down sporting equipment, meeting competitors and helping them with their kits etc, meeting and greeting the public and guiding them to their seats. Also needed where Volunteers to help with administration, catering, uniforms and many other tasks. No particular skills was required, just the enthusiasm to get involved.

Hot Spots

The Fire Support Network is a charity that aims to promote fire safety to all residents of Merseyside through the fantastic work delivered by our Volunteers.

 

To ensure that this aim is achieved we work closely alongside our partner Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, who are the front line people when it comes to extinguishing fires in domestic dwellings. This is sometimes referred to as a Hotspot.

 

When the fire service attends a property where there has been a fire and unfortunately at times when there have also been fatalities, it is extremely important to raise awareness of the situation and encourage members of the community to receive their Home Fire Safety check and free smoke alarms.

 

This is where our Volunteers come in. If a Hotspot has been reported our Volunteers will leaflet and door knock properties surrounding