The chief fire officer of County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service welcomed the chief executive of livin housing to Service 22 April) to sign a memorandum of understanding.
The document represents a commitment by both organisations to work more closely together, sharing information to help keep people safe and well.
The aim is to promote safer and healthier communities for residents of livin housing through education, safety measures and fire service ‘Safe and Wellbeing visits’.
Chief fire officer Stuart Errington said: “As a fire service we have the same goals as livin with regard to keeping tenants safe and well in their homes. This document sets out how we aim to do this and it is an agreement to share information. We look forward to working closely with livin and we hope that this will be first of many agreements with other local housing providers.”
livin currently manages around 8,500 homes in County Durham. Chief Executive, Colin Steel said: “For livin, the document is another step towards protecting our tenants by reducing the number of house fires and potential injuries or deaths which could occur. Promoting safer and healthier communities is of paramount importance to us”.
CDDFRS and livin will also collaborate to install sprinkler systems in homes later this year. Fire service ‘Safe and Wellbeing’ visits replaced home fire safety checks on 15 February 2016. The visits incorporate extra elements based on lifestyle and provide support and practical help to improve health and quality of life when and where appropriate.
The programme focuses on advice, information and practical help relating to: alcohol, smoking, dementia, social isolation, winter warmth, slips, trips and falls and flu immunisation.
In the past two months CDDFRS has referred more than 350 people from County Durham and the borough of Darlington to health agencies either through the NHS, local authorities or charitable organisations.
For more information visit www.ddfire.gov.uk or to book a home fire safe and wellbeing check with CDDFRS call: 0845 223 4221.
IN PHOTO: Stuart Errington, (left) with Colin Steel
