Free fire safety checks offered

SAFEGUARD: Barry Baxter with a smoke alarm that are supplied free under certain criteria.PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA.

Masterton residents are being reminded - in the wake of a fire that claimed a man's life earlier this month - that they can book a free fire safety check.

Senior firefighter Barry Baxter has e-mailed organisations throughout the district telling them safety checks can be booked by phoning 0800 693 473 and reminding people that under certain criteria free smoke alarms can be supplied.

Mr Baxter's memorandum follows the death of Archie Ormsby jnr on October 2.

Mr Ormsby died in a sleepout, a garage at the rear of a Cameron Crescent property, when the building caught fire.

Relatives alerted by a dog barking dragged Mr Ormsby from the shed but he was not able to be resuscitated.

Mr Baxter, who was backed up in his comments by Fire Service assistant area commander Henry Stechman, said firefighters needed "the eyes and ears" of the community so they could identify people who were most at risk, such as those sleeping in sheds and sleepouts.

He said in the case of Mr Ormsby it was "highly likely" a working smoke alarm would have "changed the outcome of this tragic fire".

"Unfortunately, in the absence of working smoke alarms when we are called it is usually far too late, and in this case the results were terrible for the victim and his family," Mr Baxter said.

He said anyone living in a caravan, or garage, is at a heightened risk and if people in the community co-operate by identifying these people they could be approached and their sleeping environment made safer from the danger of fire.

Mr Stechman said the criteria for supplying free smoke alarms is not just restricted to people with a community services card.

Staff doing free safety checks can identify a need and the fire service can act on it, he said.

In past years donated smoke alarms were sold by the fire service and the money used to buy further fire safety items but this was no longer the case, Mr Stechman said.