BOLSOVER District Council has pledged £20,000 worth of funding to help Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service cover the costs of fitting sprinklers in homes across the district.
The decision was made at a council meeting on Wednesday, October 17, and the money will be used as part-match funding towards the fire service’s £200,000 investment for Derbyshire.
The council will work with the fire service to identify and target the most vulnerable properties first, which could include sheltered housing schemes and high risk housing.
The fitting of domestic sprinklers is not intended to replace smoke alarms but complement them and to help assist the fire service in controlling a fire and reducing the risk to people’s lives.
Derbyshire has seen 27 fatalities from domestic fires since 2010 and the council in partnership with the fire service has been doing all it can to tackle the problem.
They have undertaken numerous fire awareness events, targeted known problem hot-spots with educational and promotional literature, undertaken 7,840 home fire safety checks and fitted 11,477 standard smoke detectors up to the end of 2011 across Bolsover district.
Bolsover District Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety Cllr Brian Murray-Carr said: “This is a brilliant idea and we fully support it. This is an emotive subject as it can have a devastating effect on families and local communities.
“We have had our fair share of domestic fires in the district and we do not want anymore.”
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