Liverpool, Busby firefighters educate residents on fire safety

After a deadly winter which saw 16 people killed in structure fires, firefighters have gone door-to-door in Sydney’s southwest to educate on fire safety, as well as install free smoke detectors.

Fire and Rescue NSW Acting Commissioner, Megan Stiffler, Minister for Emergency Services, Jihad Dib and Liverpool MP Charishma Kaliyanda.

After a deadly winter which saw 16 people killed in structure fires, firefighters have gone door-to-door in Sydney’s southwest to educate on fire safety, as well as install free smoke detectors.

Fire crews from Busby and Liverpool shared lifesaving fire prevention advice with residents and culturally and liguistically diverse communities around Beswick Park, Liverpool on Friday.

Emergency Services Minister and Bankstown MP Jihad Dib, flanked by Fire and Rescue NSW acting commissioner Megan Stiffler and Liverpool MP Charishma Kaliyanda, said the most recent winter was “not a good one for fatalities”.

“We had 16 fatalities in NSW and 12 could have been preventable,” he said. “There’s been over 800 fires and a lot of those we worked out potentially could have been easier to manage had it been for situations like working smoke alarms.”

Following last year’s deaths, Mr Dib said it was “incredibly important” to get the message of fire safety to one of the most culturally diverse areas in Australia - southwest Sydney.

Senior Firefighter Rhett Davis, Superintendant of metropolitan South 3 zone commander Greg Wright, Station officer at Liverpool Fire Station Scott Henderson, Senior FirefigherLuke Marsden and qualified firefigher April Maciejowski with Liverpool resident Amy Bradley.

“We’ve chosen an area where there’s a high level of multicultural communities because we want to make sure that the message is across … as there is no one size fits all approach,” he said. “Our preference is for no one to ever have a visit from Fire and Rescue because there’s been a fire,” he said.

As a renter in Liverpool, mother-of-four Amy Bradley said she had never thought about checking her smoke alarms. That was until the firefighters paid a visit.

Senior Firefighter Rhett Davis, Superintendant of metropolitan South 3 zone commander Greg Wright, Station officer at Liverpool Fire Station Scott Henderson with Liverpool resident Rita Aziz.

“It’s a good reminder to check my smoke alarms are working and also thinking about my fire exits and getting my kids out safely,” she said.

Mother-of-two Rita Aziz - of Ayssrian heritage who moved to Australia 15 years ago from the Middle East - said she learnt to check her smoke alarms after she encountered an issue in her kitchen last week.

“I had water on the stove and there was a lot of smoke in the house so we had to open all the windows and the alarm went off,” she said.

For 21-year-old Daniel Mandawi, Liverpool firefighters installed two smoke detectors in his home.

Senior Firefigher from the Liverpool Brigade, Luke Marsden installing free smoke alarms for Liverpool local Daniel Mandawi, 21.

“The firefighters care about our community and want to keep us safe and a fire can happen with something simple like cooking so it’s good to add an alarm system so you’re safe,” he said.

Fire and Rescue NSW acting commissioner Megan Stiffler said while there’s 300 languages in Sydney, it’s important to get the message of smoke alarms and fire safety out to every family.

“Even though you never know when anything can happen, it’s good to be prepared,” she said. “We’re not only doing this to save families’ trauma, but also the community, and every emergency service personnel that turns up to those fires, it is traumatic,” she said.

Senior Firefighter Rhett Davis and Superintendant of metropolitan South 3 zone commander Greg Wright installing a free smoke detector at a Liverpool residence.

Station officer at Liverpool fire station, Scott Henderson said it was important to prioritise community outreach to educate residents on fire safety.

“We focus on preventive action to prevent a fire before it actually happens and getting the message out has shown to reduce fires in the winter,” he said.

Superintendent Gregory Wright said preparing people for fires “builds a more resilient community.”

“The smoke alarm is the best protection for the public and for firefighters because if someone is inside the house, firefighters will risk their lives to enter the premises to save someone,” he said.

“Your passport, you can get a new one. Your birth certificate, you can get a new one. But there’s only one of you.”