Fire service launches Christmas safety appeal
Meath County Council Fire Service launched its annual Fire Safety Christmas appeal, the '12 days of Christmas 2010' in Navan Shopping Centre last week. The campaign is being run in conjunction with the Meath County Council Housing Section and aims to generate awareness of fire risks to residents of County Meath while celebrating Christmas at home. A fire safety leaflet has been produced in the form of a Christmas card with 12 fire safety points. The 12 messages are practical and, if taken on board, could save lives over the Christmas period and throughout the year, the fire service says. They are: On the first day of Christmas: Check your Christmas tree lights conform to the European Standards. Always use a residual current device (safety device that can save lives by instantly switching off power) on outdoor electrical equipment. On the second day of Christmas: Never place candles near your Christmas tree, cards, decorations or furnishings. On the third day of Christmas: Make sure your family and visitors staying for the festive period know what to do in an emergency. Make a fire escape plan. On the fourth day of Christmas: Decorations can burn easily - don't attach them to lights, heaters, candles or place around a fireplace. On the fifth day of Christmas: Never overload electrical sockets. Take special care with Christmas lights. Always switch Christmas lights off and unplug them before you go to bed. On the sixth day of Christmas: Celebrate Christmas and New Year safely. The risk of accidents, especially in the kitchen, is greater after alcohol is consumed. On the seventh day of Christmas: Most fires start in the kitchen - never leave a cooker unattended. On the eighth day of Christmas: If you are planning to celebrate with licensed fireworks, store them in a metal box, read the instructions, never go back to a lit firework and keep a bucket of water nearby. On the ninth day of Christmas: Make sure cigarettes are completely extinguished before going to bed. On the 10th day of Christmas: Check the battery in your smoke alarm every week and use Christmas as a reminder to clean it and remove dust. On the 11th day of Christmas: Keep candles, lighters and matches out of the reach of children. Never leave burning candles unattended. On the 12th day of Christmas: Take the time to check on elderly relatives and neighbours this Christmas - make sure they are fire safe. The leaflet and further fire safety information can be obtained by calling into Meath County Council Fire Service headquarters in Navan Fire Station, Abbey Road, Navan, or by visiting www.meath.ie The fire service says Christmas is a time of celebration and of bringing of families together; however, it can also be a time of tragedy with a number of people losing their lives in house fires. This is the second year of the campaign, which was initiated in 2009 in order to coincide with the other fire safety programmes such as Fire Safety Week and primary schools visits which are run throughout the county each year by the Meath County Council Fire Service.