FIREFIGHTERS in Bradford and across West Yorkshire are to be asked to perform ‘Safe and Well’ visits for the region’s most vulnerable residents in place of traditional home fire safety checks.

As part of the new West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) Safer Communities Strategy, crews will be given in-depth training to provide advice on topics such as preventing falls, winter cold, social isolation, crime, and how to stop smoking.

The new visits are to be phased in over a two-year period, but union bosses have claimed that WYFRS has “shot off at 100mph” without sufficient training in place.

A newly-introduced ‘risk filter’ means householders will now be assessed about their home and lifestyle before receiving a face-to-face visit.

Home visits will be prioritised for the “most vulnerable” members of communities, with householders deemed to be low-risk, such as those who have working smoke alarms and no concerning lifestyle factors, signposted to a new online education package.

Chris Kirby, WYFRS area manager for fire safety, said: “A new Safer Communities Strategy is aiming to improve overall wellbeing.

“Fire safety will always remain at the heart of what we do, but our traditional home fire safety checks will evolve to become Safe and Well visits.

“This will require closer working with our partners in the health sector and we will be able to identify people who are vulnerable to health and wellbeing issues, offer basic advice, and make referrals to specialist services where necessary.

“Many years of experience has told us that where there are serious or fatal fires in the home, there’s often a pattern of lifestyle factors that increase the likelihood of fire.

“This could be smoking, mobility issues, alcohol misuse, social isolation, or mental health difficulties.

“The ultimate aim is to prevent tragedies and also to relieve some of the strain on Accident and Emergency departments by taking action before people get to a point of crisis.”

A report given to West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority's community safety committee stated that from March 1 last year to February 10 this year, 130 safeguarding cause for concern cases were identified by WYFRS personnel, an increase of nine per cent from the previous year.

A total of 82 cases were subsequently assessed as having a safeguarding issue, with the remaining 48 assessed as vulnerable individuals in need of support.

Of the 130 cases, 96 were adults, of which nearly half, 45 per cent, were aged over 65, and 34 were children.

There were 29 cases identified across the Bradford district, 25 involving adults and four involving children.

The highest number of referrals was in Leeds, which saw 45 cases.

The report said: “These increases are likely to be attributable to raised awareness, through training and performance management visits, around safeguarding issues for frontline prevention staff and operational crews, who are subsequently better placed to identify those who are at risk of harm or neglect.

“Further training will be required to ensure staff and managers are consistent in their identification of vulnerable individuals in order that we highlight safeguarding issues.”

But David Williams, secretary for the Fire Brigades Union in West Yorkshire, said he was concerned at the extra responsibilities being given to firefighters.

“The brand we have opens doors that others can’t,” he said.

“We are welcomed into people’s homes more so than that of some other authorities, and they are using us to get their message across. So, while we are in fitting smoke detectors we can then do x, y, and z on top of that.

“Widening the role map is being discussed nationally, but the brigade has shot off at 100mph and rushed ahead to implement it.

“They want to be seen to be dynamic by introducing health and wellbeing inspections.

“We want to see national training and safeguards put in place, giving consistency and uniformity for brigades across the country.

“In the main, it is good work, but there is not enough adequate training as yet.”