Following the Grenfell Tower fire we felt that it was important to reassure tenants that Fife Housing Group does not have any high-rise properties similar to this, nor have we applied external cladding to any of our properties.
We take our responsibilities as a landlord seriously, especially in the area of fire safety. This has resulted in considerable additional investment across our properties to ensure the fabric of the buildings comply with Building Regulations, which incorporate fire safety standards. In accordance with this, all of our properties are fitted with smoke alarms and we issue guidance to tenants regarding their regular testing. The type of fire safety system installed in our flatted properties may also include ‘smoke stacks’ which will vent any smoke away from the occupied property.
If you live in a flat you may occasionally be aware of your Housing Officer asking for items such as rugs, plastic plants, bikes and even motorbikes, to be removed from the communal areas. We don’t do this to be awkward but rather to ensure that neither your evacuation in an emergency, nor the access by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, could be impeded by combustible material left in the stairwells. These precautions and checks are absolutely vital and are there both to help prevent a fire from starting and to aid your safe escape should a fire start. Each Housing Officer is charged with ensuring that all flatted properties within their ‘patch’ are inspected on a regular basis but if you ever find anything that you are concerned about please don’t hesitate to call us on 08000 274 007.
We anticipate that the investigations into the Grenfell Tower fire will result in further learning to help improve our approach to fire safety and will be following these developments carefully.
Should you require any additional guidance regarding fire safety and prevention in the meantime, you can contact Scottish Fire and Rescue directly to arrange a FREE Home Fire Safety Visit (text ‘fire’ to 61611; call 0800 0731 999; visit www.firescotland.gov.uk) or download their Guide to Fire Safety or their Guide to Multi-Storey Fire Safety leaflets directly.
