Tuesday 27th June 2023
Fire Safety Project of the Year: The Home Fire Safety Check tool developed by Safelincs in conjunction with the National Fire Chief’s Council (NFCC) and Fire Kills, has been recognised for its innovation and importance at the national Fire & Security Matters awards. This free online resource has been created for fire services to assist the public with home fire safety. It also enables fire services to identify homes which may need more support.
For the ‘Fire Safety Project of the Year’ award, 14 finalist organisations were invited to the black-tie awards evening. Safelincs are incredibly proud to have received this award in recognition of our contribution to this important public resource.
What are the FSM awards?
Western Business Media and the Fire Industry Association organise The Fire & Security Matters Awards. These awards recognise excellence and innovation in the fire and security sectors.
What is the ‘Fire Safety Project of the Year’ Award?
This award category recognises a project which has delivered significant improvements to fire safety in relation to people and/or premises. Judgement is based on how the project has made a positive impact, including evidence of measurable improvement to fire safety.
This award recognises the time and expertise donated to this project by Safelincs. It reflects their commitment to the HFSC tool, which has already begun to impact the prevention of domestic fires. The free to use tool allows Fire Services to support the public to carry out fire safety audits in their homes. Individuals can identify whether they need support, while receiving personalised fire safety advice.
Upon receiving this prestigious award, Rik Stuart, Web Developer for the project has said “Safelincs are immensely proud and honoured to receive the Fire & Security Matters Fire Safety Project of the Year award for the Online Home Fire Safety Check. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Safelincs, the National Fire Chiefs Council and Fire Kills in providing an online system that continues to identify those at risk of fire and provides fire safety advice to homes in England.”
What is the HFSC?
The HFSC tool is an interactive assessment tool with which the general public can assess the risks of home fires. It offers personalised fire safety advice, while referring households at significant risk to their local fire service for additional support. The tool enables fire services to use their resources effectively, and to provide guidance to vulnerable households that it identifies.
“We are extremely proud of all the hard work, innovation and commitment shown by our team to deliver a bespoke cost-saving solution to our National Fire and Rescue Services. This award reflects that effort, and provides them with the recognition that they deserve. It has been our pleasure to work with the National Fire Chief’s Council over the last few years on this project, and to donate our development team’s time and resources in support of their hard work and effort. We are committed to providing the NFCC with support and expertise long into the future to support their ambitions, and improve fire safety support for the general public.”
Stuart Baxter, Managing Director
The Role of the HFSC in Fire Prevention
The HFSC has become a valuable resource for fire services in England. Since the launch of this tool, more than 62% of fire services in the UK have already ‘onboarded’. A further 19% are in the process of ‘onboarding’; 96% of all UK fire services have shown an interest. Between September 2021 and March 2023, 38,128 individuals used the tool, enabling FRSs to reach a larger group of people and clearly identify vulnerable households. Other agencies, such as the ambulance service, carers and housing associations, are now using the tool to assess the level of fire risk within the households they have contact with.
Safelincs strives to provide essential public resources for the improvement of fire safety. This award reflects not only Safelincs’ ethos, but their rising impact across the fire safety industry.
