A firefighter from Cornwall has raised the alarm about the increased risk of deadly fires in the wake of the pandemic. He has warned that people are putting themselves in danger, and fire safety standards nosedived during lockdown.
Owen, 36, from Truro and a firefighter for Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service, regularly visits nurseries, schools and colleges to give talks to various age groups about fire and road safety, as well as doing community outreach work, for example by fitting fire alarms for vulnerable people or inviting community groups to visit the fire station.
Owen said: “The pandemic has had an obvious impact on people’s fire safety, and there’s been a really noticeable rise in the number of people with alarms that aren’t working properly or that are out of date. It is such a simple thing but can be very dangerous if it isn’t fixed.”
“During lockdown the community events – school talks, coffee mornings, site visits – all of that had to stop for two years, and has only just started back up again.”
He said that the fire service in Truro was working hard to get back into the community to check fire alarms through home visits.
Owen spoke after receiving laser eye surgery from Optical Express. Owen had worn glasses all his life, but these were unsuitable at work. He also tried wearing contact lenses, however, his eyes would become uncomfortable working long shifts, and he was worried about touching his eyes after handling potentially toxic substances.
He said that working during the pandemic was challenging, and that he and his colleagues suddenly had to adapt to operational challenges. CPR had to be performed differently to reduce the risk of infection, while wearing masks in the truck could make communication difficult.
However, he believes that the local community show a lot of appreciation for his work.
He said: “I think being a more rural service, we do actually get a lot a gratitude – I can’t speak for firefighters across the country. But around here there’s a community feel and I really appreciate the support.”