The Winter Fire Safety Campaign

The Winter Fire Safety campaign has been officially launched across the state after media events in City Square as well as Sale.

Volunteers from the Boronia, Montrose and The Basin brigades were joined by Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley today to launch the joint CFA/MFB campaign to metropolitan media.

CFA Regional Commander David Sherry and MFB Chief Officer Shane Wright spoke of the need for vigilance around the home and encouraged all Victorians to take on the role of fire warden for their home.

“Sadly there was a fire fatality in regional Victoria just a few weeks ago – believed to have been caused by a blanket on an electric fan heater. There was no smoke alarm in the building,” said David Sherry.

“This is a tragedy that could have been prevented and I just cannot stress the importance of working smoke alarms enough.

“Most house fires are preventable. While this campaign runs across the 100 days of winter – I would like to encourage 365 days of vigilance.”

Members of the public were invited to help form the shape of the number one hundred for the media, and were helped out by recent community heroes Warwick Todd and Tony Morris who saved a baby from an East Bentleigh house fire last week.

CFA Chairman Kerry Murphy, Executive Manager Community Safety Terry Hayes and Manager Community Development Gwynne Brennan also lent a hand.  

The campaign was launched to regional media last Friday from Sale College, where volunteers from the Sale Brigade were joined by Deputy Premier and Minister for Police and Emergency Services Peter Ryan and Gippsland Regional Manager Mark Reid.

Class 7.4 from Sale College were shown how to use a fire blanket by Sale Brigade First Lieutenant David Thewlis, and promised to remind their parents to check the smoke alarm in their house.

(MFB Chief Officer Shane Wright)