Community initiatives

Firefly

These are just some of the community initiatives that we are involved in…

Home fire risk assessment referrals
We work with organisations such as Primary Care Trust, Alcohol and Drug  Services, Ordinary Lifestyles, Zest, Manchester Equipment and Adaptations to get referrals for home fire risk assessments for those most at risk or those difficult to reach. Also, when council tenants sign up to an agreement, they are asked to sign up for a home fire risk assessment.

Training landlords
We give talks to groups of housing landlords and their letting agents on household hazard identification whilst on routine inspections of their properties.

Youth schemes and organisations/Youth Offending Team 
We work with the Youth Offending Team and youth organisations such as Discus, Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme, Choices and Chances and Re-integration into Secondary Education providing programmes of education designed to discourage arson, car crime, firefighter attacks and educate young people on general fire safety.

Alleygating
Alleygating restricts access to the rear of homes in order to prevent crime. All residents affected by alleygating schemes across the city are offered a home fire risk assessment within a Manchester Housing information pack. This has led to over 100 referrals to date.

Wheelie bin fires
Working with Waste Management Control at Manchester City Council, stickers have been put on wheelie bins in areas where there has been wheelie fires warning residents of the dangers and making them aware of their responsibilities.

Car crime awareness
Letters were distributed to residents in car fire hot spot areas giving advice and providing contact numbers to report offenders.

Postal delivery of fire safety messages
Manchester North and Manchester South have joined forces with the Royal Mail Group PLC to get fire safety messages delivered to Manchester residents. The Memorandum of Understanding is to build up a framework of co-operation between Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and Royal Mail to develop mutually beneficial programmes and projects which will enhance community cohesion and safety within the Borough.

Beat Sweep
Beat Sweep is an initiative that involves the Fire Service, Police, different local authority departments and other partners working together to help rid a community of problems such as litter, abandoned vehicles, drugs and anti-social behaviour. We participate by offering local resident free home fire risk assessments.

Chinese mid summer festival
Our community fire safety team in Manchester North had a stall at the festival. Home fire risk assessment leaflers were translated into Chinese and Cantonese by the Chinese Lions, a Chinese community network who now have strong links with the Fire Service.

Crucial Crew
Crucial Crew is an event run by different organisations such as the Fire Service, Police and Council with the theme of staying safe in the community. We run two Crucial Crew events in North Manchester - one is aimed at young people and one aimed at the elderly.

Crucial Crew for young people is a three week event run annually. We aim for 55 schools to attend and between 1,800 and 2,000 young people.

Last year saw the launch of a new scheme working with the charity Zest, Crucial Crew for the elderly, which is based on the same principle as Crucial Crew for young people. Older members of the community are invited to two one-day events to receive education on the relevant services available to them from various agencies.

Firefly
North Manchester has run 11 Firefly courses in the last 12 months with approximately 110 young people attending.

Young people who may be having difficulties with education or at home or have been involved in anti-social behaviour are referred onto the course by the youth organisation Connexions.They get the opportunity to spend the week with the Fire Service learning basic fire fighting skills, understanding what the role of a firefighter is, taking part in numerous team building exercises and learning about the consequences of car crime and arson.

Learn Not To Burn
In North Manchester we run the Learn Not To Burn competition every year, we do this combined with South Manchester and in total we have 55 schools who take part. Approximately 1,000 children receive four lessons on fire safety awareness and the Fire and Rescue Service.