Safety officers learn and share knowledge to keep vulnerable people fire safe

22/10/2026

Firefighters and community safety colleagues shared their knowledge and picked up new skills during recent community visits.

A crew from Wisbech Fire Station was joined by one of the Service’s community safety officers for a visit to a Hearing Help drop-in session in Wisbech, organised by Cambridgeshire Deaf Association. The group discussed fire safety in the home, including how to use sensory smoke alarms to alert them to an emergency.

Station Commander Hannah Archdeacon, community risk manager, said: “Most people rely on hearing a smoke alarm to wake them if there is a fire, especially at night when most fires tend to happen. For those with a hearing impairment, this can present a challenge. A sensory alarm helps with this by linking a pad to a standard alarm, which is placed under a pillow. This then vibrates and flashes a light to alert the resident to an emergency.”

Those that might benefit from a sensory alarm can visit the Service’s website to complete an online home fire safety check, which will provide an action plan and give a score to see if a home visit is required.

Colleagues from the Service’s community safety and safeguarding teams were recently visited by mental health charity Mind, to learn about how to help people in crisis. The group learned about trauma informed communication and how they can use those skills when dealing with vulnerable residents.

Hannah added: “Our colleagues are often faced with vulnerable people suffering a mental health crisis, through our targeted fire prevention work and responding to emergencies. These are often complex and require a great deal of care. This training provided really useful insights and help equip our team with additional knowledge.”

Any resident can complete an online home fire safety check using the tool in the Home Safety section. This can also be completed on behalf of someone vulnerable who might struggle with technology.