House with No Steps visit City of Sydney Fire Station

Published: 28th June 2017

A group of 17 people from the House with No Steps recently visited the City of Sydney Fire Station to take part in fire safety demonstrations.

Visitors from House with No Steps Hurstville Community Participation Program toured the fire station facilities and had the chance to see fire trucks and firefighting equipment up close.

City of Sydney Station Officer Richard Lucas said he was pleased to offer the participants an opportunity to learn safety prevention strategies and an understanding of risks associated with fire.

“The site visit provided participants with an opportunity to take part in hands-on activities and receive important fire safety messages,” he said.

“Fire safety messages are particularly important for the elderly, disabled and vulnerable in our community because of reduced capacity to react if an incident occurs.

“Winter especially highlights the need for fire safety education in the community. Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) sees a 10 per cent jump in the number of fires starting in bedrooms or loungerooms during the winter months.”

One of Australia’s leading disability service providers, House with No Steps is dedicated to giving people with a disability greater choice, control, and freedom.

House with No Steps representative Kerry Cabrera said the visit was a unique, once-in-lifetime activity for many of our program participants.

“Excursions and site visits give our customers an opportunity to socialise with the community and benefit from interactive learning experiences,” she said.

This winter FRNSW is urging the community to ‘keep looking when cooking’ to avoid kitchen fire catastrophes, as kitchen fires accounted for 45 per cent of all residential fires and 34 per cent of injuries in NSW.

FRNSW recommends the following simple safety checklist for home cooks:

  • Never leave cooking unattended. If you leave the kitchen, turn off the stove.
  • It takes just three minutes for a fire to take hold, but only seconds to prevent one.
  • Don’t put anything metallic in the microwave.
  • Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children.
  • Store flammable items (aerosols, cleaning agents and cooking oil etc) away from heat.
  • Don’t cook under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
  • Keep loose clothing, fabrics, tea towels and curtains away from the stove.
  • Turn pot handles inwards to avoid being knocked or grabbed by children.