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A VULNERABLE resident from Hyde was given a life-saving Christmas present by Hyde White Watch.

Crews had a monitored fire alarm fitted for her on Christmas Eve - and less than a week later the woman suffered a fire but a Hyde Fire Station team were on the scene within minutes thanks to the newly fitted alarm.

White Watch were made aware by a private carer that a partially sighted woman, who smokes, needed a Home Fire Safety Check as she has difficulty lighting her cigarettes properly due to her vision.

The woman had suffered a burn on a previous occasion when her cigarette failed to light properly and dropped on to her leg.

Despite the close proximity to the festive season, firefighters visited her immediately and conducted a Home Fire Safety Check on Christmas Eve.

They also contacted the out of hours social service manager at Tameside Council and the watch ensured a monitored fire alarm was fitted and a pendant for Careline was also supplied.

All of their efforts proved worthwhile, when on January 2, Green Watch firefighters from the same station were called out to a fire at the woman's house after a discarded cigarette set fire to a box of tissues.

The call came to the Fire Service from the monitoring company and crews were on the scene and able to deal with the fire before it spread.

Borough Manager Jon Heydon said: "Obviously, we want to prevent all fires so that no one ever faces the frightening prospect of having to call us in an emergency.

"This is not always possible, but it shows that by working with carers and the families of those who find themselves vulnerable to fires we can put plans and equipment in place to ensure people are as safe as possible.

"Had we not been there only a week earlier and fitted the monitored alarm, it may have taken longer for us to be alerted to the fire and it does not bear thinking about what the consequences could have been for this resident.

"I am delighted by the prompt action of the watch in addressing this issue so quickly and the subsequent work by other watches to ensure this woman's vulnerability was highlighted to all agencies and that she was well looked after when she did suffer a fire."

To find out more about a Home Fire Safety Check or book a FREE check please call 0800 555 815 or visit www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/fire_safety_advice/home_fire_risk_assessments.aspx

Last update: 18/01/2012 11:29:38