Increase in home fire safety visits continue to keep people safe

More than 5,600 home fire safety visits have been carried out by Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service to help protect the most vulnerable people across the county.

Data from 2025 shows an increase of over 200 visits being carried out from the previous 12 months, with 86% of all visits carried out being with vulnerable households.

Home fire safety visits see staff visit residents at higher risk of fire and deliver tailored advice to help combat the risks of fire at home.

Visits are typically conducted by both firefighters and fire staff, with the specialist Prevention Team at Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service and their Home Fire Safety Advisors also delivering enhanced visits.

Enhanced visits focus on the most vulnerable members of the community with the most complex needs.

Team members also work closely with partner agencies and can refer someone to other services if they identify the need for other kinds of care and support to reduce risks.

Visits can also take place alongside the Arson Task Force for people whose property could be at risk of arson.

What happens during a home fire safety visit?

After showing their ID at the front door, firefighters will come into your house and discuss a variety of safety measures that can keep you safe at home.

They will ask questions to help them understand the likelihood of a fire in your home and the impact it might have on you and any other occupiers.  These would cover things like electrical safety, how to stay safe when cooking and the use of candles.

Once any hazards have been identified, crews will talk to you about things you can do to prevent fires, if you need more help or support to stay safe we can assist with  further referrals to other agencies or refer you to our Home Fire Safety Advisors for an enhanced visit.

Firefighters won’t leave until they have checked that you have suitable and working smoke alarms and that you know what to do in the event of a fire.

In some cases, our firefighters can fit new alarms if you need them, but if you rent your home, your landlord has a responsibility to provide these.

It isn’t just home fire safety visits that have seen an increase with our firefighters and Prevention Team delivering more targeted community education activities in the last 12 months. These include, school visits, water safety days, Mature Drivers road safety workshops and Action Reaction Consequence programme for young people

Lisa Bryan, Head of Prevention at Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “I am proud of the hard work our firefighters and fire staff have done to continue to deliver this crucial service to the public.

“We know through feedback how much of a positive impact our home fire safety visits can have on the most vulnerable members of society, so we encourage anyone who feels they need a visit from us to make a referral.”

If you would like to refer yourself, a friend or a family member for a Home Fire Safety Visit, this can be done by visiting www.northantsfire.gov.uk/home-safety-checks/

Or you can complete your own fire safety check online, which can be found at the link above.

Alternatively, you can also phone 01604 797 000.