The Cornish Times and Caradon District Council are donating 50 smoke detectors to the Fire Brigade who are to fit them in the homes of people they judge to be most at risk from fire in their properties.
The County Brigade are involved in a campaign called 'Making Cornwall Safer' and the five stations based in each town in the Caradon area, co-ordinated by Community Safety Fire Liaison Officer Martin Wingrove, are presently promoting the essential ownership of smoke alarms in all households, which is the first big launch of the local safety drive.
Based on an idea by Liskeard Fire Fighter Stuart Owens, many primary schools in the area are being visited by firemen.
During the visits, pupils are being given a dramatic display on the dangers of fire. This involves the catastrophic effect of pouring a small amount of water on to a chip pan fire.
The pupils are then given safety advice which involves the importance of homes having a smoke detector, and an emergency plan which includes how to get out of bedroom windows.
The firemen say they have so far been very impressed by the knowledge already displayed by some youngsters on fire-related matters, and the many questions they have been asking.
A competition is being run where the children are being asked to nominate a relation, friend or neighbour who they think would benefit from a smoke detector, and then to draw a picture of a fire survival plan or write a short story or poem on why they think the person needs the detector or their current one maintained.
All entries should be handed in to the pupils' various schools and reception points or to Caradon Council by Tuesday, May 2. Schools who have already received a visit are St Cleer, St Martins, Menheniot, Looe, Polperro, Dobwalls, Liskeard Junior and Pensilva.
The fire brigade intends to visit all the people highlighted by the children and fit or service existing detectors where appropriate.
All the winning competition entries will be published in the Cornish Times and displayed at the newspaper's offices.
The winners will also be invited as VIP guests to visit Liskeard Fire Station on Saturday, May 13, for a special look around at the Emergency Services Open Day, prior to the public being admitted between 11.30am-3.30pm.
Sub Officer Wingrove says all the smoke detectors to be fitted courtesy of the paper and the council, will last for up to 10 years and will have batteries which cannot be removed and will not need to be changed.
'They are a permanent and, therefore, safer fixture,' he says.
As part of the ongoing local campaign, where safety in the home and the young and elderly are targeted as particularly vulnerable, the ever-popular Hazard Alley aimed at primary schools, will be held in Liskeard on June 7-16, and a new initiative called 'Antiques Folk Show' will take place at Millennium House, Pensilva, on Thursday, April 27.
This will be run along similar lines as Hazard Alley but will include senior life skills for the elderly. Another show will take place in October, for the Saltash area, at a venue yet to be announced.
Every fire station in Caradon has a fire safety representative who will be happy to advise and meet the general public, or the headquarters at Liskeard can be contacted on 01579 342392.
The officers are: Callington - F/F Hewie, Liskeard - F/F Stuart Owens, Looe - F/F Craig George, Saltash - S/O Ken Bennett, and Torpoint - F/F Tina Yates.