Fire safety advice for residents following flat blaze in Crawley

The large block of flats was the site of a fire last month. While it was contained to one flat and there were no injuries, the council and WSFRS agreed to join forces to provide fire safety information to tenants and leaseholders.

The visits saw council officers joining Green Watch from Crawley Fire Station, WSFRS’s Community Prevention and Training Team and volunteers to inspect communal areas, offer Safe and Well visits to residents and give general safety advice.

A Safe and Well visit is completely free and focuses on three key areas:

- Identify and be aware of the potential fire risks within your home

- Know what to do to reduce or prevent these risks

- Put together an escape plan in case a fire does break out and ensure you have working smoke alarms.

- General Health and Wellbeing advice

If any member of our community would benefit from a Safe and Well Visit, please contact West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service on 0345 872 9719

Three visits were undertaken with four booked in by residents for the coming weeks.

Milton Mount, which has 146 flats, is next to Worth Park in Pound Hill. Another joint council and WSFRS visit is being arranged.

Councillor Sandra Buck, Cabinet member for Housing at Crawley Borough Council, said: “While the fire was contained, it will have understandably worried residents.

“The visit was a great chance to hear from the experts about fire safety and to take simple steps to stay safe, including having a working smoke alarm and testing it regularly.”

Steve Burns, Station Manager at Crawley Fire Station, said: “Our collaborative visit to Milton Mount was a great opportunity for all the services and departments involved to share information and engage with the residents at Milton Mount.

“It gave us the opportunity to reassure residents that the Housing Team at Crawley Borough Council is working hard to make Milton Mount the safest it can be and for them to understand that West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service is not only there to deal with incidents but to offer support and advice after and in the future.”

If anyone would benefit from a Safe and Well Visit, please call West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service on 0345 8729719. For more information search ‘safe and well West Sussex’ online.