Fire service volunteers celebrate scheme’s anniversary

A VOLUNTEER fire safety service which was pioneered in Crow country has celebrated its first anniversary.

The Cambridgeshire Fire Service’s Community Champions initiative was launched last year, and sees volunteers visit residents and community groups to deliver talks on fire safety and emergency escape plans, as well as arranging home safety checks.

Bassingbourn is one of six villages in South Cambridgeshire where Community Champions are based, and in the last 12 months they have attended events and meetings in Fowlmere, Litlington, Melboun and Meldreth. In total more than 650 individuals have received home safety checks through the scheme.

Wendy Coleman, Community Risk Manager at Cambridgeshire Fire Service, said: “Community Champions are a valuable asset to the Service and have already proven to be a great success.

“Their role is to promote the Service to those people who can carry out fire safety in their own homes and communities themselves, and to show residents how easy it is to look after their family’s fire safety by doing simple things like installing a correctly fitted and working smoke alarm.”

To mark the anniversay a celebration was held at Fire Service headquarters in Huntingdon, where volunteers were awarded certificates and took a tour of the control room.

Anyone interested in becoming a Community Champion should call Ed Aniskowicz on 01353 865038, or email edward.aniskowicz@cambsacre.org.uk.