Maidstone homes benefit from fire safety partnership
Life-saving sprinkler systems are being installed in a sheltered housing scheme after Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) teamed up with the Maidstone Housing Trust.
KFRS has contributed £21,000 towards the installation at Lenham House, a 19 unit property which is undergoing refurbishment. The grant forms part of the service’s “Safer with Sprinklers” campaign, aimed at protecting the most vulnerable people in Kent and Medway.
Rose Ellison, Head of Support Services at Maidstone Housing Trust, said: “Everyone wants to feel safe in their own home. Working with KFRS means our residents at Lenham House have state of the art safety equipment installed, giving them greater peace of mind.”
One of the key factors driving risks of fire and injury is the ever increasing number of vulnerable people living within the community. For this reason, KFRS is campaigning to dispel the misconceptions and myths surrounding sprinkler systems while raising awareness of the partnerships and available grants that are already in existence.
KFRS Area Director for Community Safety, Steve Griffiths said: “One of our main aims is to reduce the number of accidental fire deaths and injuries and sprinkler systems in the homes of those most at risk are a vital step towards achieving this.
“Maidstone Housing Trust has set an excellent example in demonstrating the freedom and flexibility that sprinklers provide and we encourage other property owners to follow them and contact us on how we can help.”
Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority – which oversees how KFRS is run - was given a Government grant of £255,773 for 2006 to 2008. It has been allocated to promoting the use of sprinklers and to help fund installations in the homes of vulnerable people including the elderly and disabled, people with learning or physical disabilities, mental illness or alcohol or drug abuse problems.
For more information on KMFRA’s sprinkler campaign and the funding available, please contact Chris Colgan, Chairman of the Sprinkler Working Group on (01622) 774500, or visit our website www.kent.fire-uk.org/sprinklers
Maidstone Housing Trust is carrying out a major refurbishment programme at Lenham House, creating self-contained flats and is removing shared bathrooms. This is part of a wider programme of investment in sheltered housing schemes across Maidstone.
date published: 09/07/2008