Fire Service

Fire Service Referrals

Home Fire Safety

If you live in Merseyside, you can phone 0800 731 5958 for free fire safety advice or to request a Home Fire Safety Check visit, where free fire safety advice will be given, including the importance of having working smoke alarms on each level of your home and making sure everyone knows how to escape if a fire were to start.

• Many residents on Merseyside will be eligible for the fitting of free smoke alarms, particularly those over the age of 65 and anyone who is referred to them by one of our partner agencies.

Requesting a visit can be particularly important in the case of an elderly or vulnerable friend or relative, or someone who may have mobility issues or sensory impairment.

How to refer to the fire service

• You can request a Home Fire Safety Check for yourself, a neighbour or relative by using the online Home Fire Safety Check tool, this is for use by Merseyside residents.

By using the online tool, people can explore whether they - along with loved ones or neighbours - could be at greater risk from fire. The innovative tool offers help and advice and will automatically trigger a visit from MFRS if a person is noted as being at higher risk.

Advice for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service aims to help protect groups that may be vulnerable to a fire or escaping a fire. One of those groups may be those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

• in some cases, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service may be able to provide a hard of hearing smoke alarm, which features a vibrating pad and light strobe
• if you have concerns that a relative or friend may not be able to hear their smoke alarm in the event of a fire, please call 0800 731 5958
• if you are deaf or hard of hearing and require a Home Fire Safety Check, you can text 07864 995752.
• people who have difficulties with speech or are hard of hearing or deaf can email fireservicedirect@merseyfire.gov.uk requesting fire safety information to be sent to them.

TEXT Message Options:

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service also urges people who are unable to make a voice call to 999 to register their mobile phones with the emergency SMS service. This allows them to text an emergency call to any of the UK's emergency services.

To do this they should text 'register' to 999 and then follow the instructions received. For further information visit www.emergencysms.net

Once registered the person can make an emergency call by sending a text to 999.

You Must State In The Text:

• Who? Fire, Police, Ambulance, Coastguard etc
• What? Briefly explain the problem.
• Where? Exactly where is the problem. Give the name or the road and town. Plus more information such as a house number or nearby landmarks e.g. pub, church or school.

What happens next?

The emergency service will either ask for more information or will tell you help is on the way. Do not assume help is on the way until you receive a message back from the emergency services. This can take about two minutes. If you do not hear back retry after three minutes.

It is important that the person's mobile phone number is registered otherwise the above will not work.