Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service carries out record number of home safety visits

In the last year, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service has helped more people than ever before stay safer in their homes.  

Between April 2024 and April 2025, the service's Prevention team, fire crews and volunteers completed 8,164 in-person Home Fire Safety Visits, which is a 139% increase on 2023-24 and the highest on record for the service. 

Home Fire Safety Visits are free, in-person visits designed to reduce the risk of fire and improve safety and wellbeing in homes across Norfolk. They identify potential hazards, raise awareness and influence safer behaviours and also serve as a gateway to wider health and wellbeing support - with teams able to make onward referrals to services such as social care, mental health support and assistive technology providers.  

Emyr Gough, Head of Prevention and Protection at Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, said: "A large part of the work we do is making sure people are safe in their homes and helping them to reduce any fire risks.  

"Our teams have worked incredibly hard over the last year in particular to make sure we get to as many people who are more at risk of fire in the county as we can, offering vital advice and support." 

Advice included in the visits is:  

• To make sure you have a working smoke alarm on each floor of your home and that it is tested regularly (Test it Tuesday) 
• To plan an escape route for your home in the event of fire and make sure everyone is familiar with it  
• To leave your house at the first sign of fire, stay out and call 999. Do not try and fight the fire yourself 
• Promoting safe use of portable heaters - to stay at least one metre away and never to dry clothes on the heaters or obstruct them in any way 
• To charge devices safely on flat surfaces when you are awake and at home, always using the charger that was bought with your device or a replacement recommended by the retailer 

Sadly, the most significant house fires we see in Norfolk tend to occur in the homes of elderly people, who are living alone, have reduced mobility or cognitive impairment and use portable heaters or have unsafe smoking habits. That is why we prioritise these visits for those who are most at risk of fire in our communities.   

Councillor Margaret Dewsbury, Cabinet Member for Communities at Norfolk County Council, said: "We would encourage anyone who cares for someone elderly or vulnerable to speak to them about organising a Home Fire Safety Visit on their behalf.  

"This is really easy to do through the norfolk.gov.uk/fire website. The teams that carry out these visits are friendly and helpful and there to support people in our county." 

If you know someone who may benefit from a Home Fire Safety Visit, please refer them via our website where we will check if they are eligible: www.norfolk.gov.uk/firesafetycheck