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Not so sure that sending a fire engine to replace a quids worth of battery is economic or sensible use of public funding though.......
Why can't people accept responsibility for their own well being? Just a thought.

My mum is 87 and living on her own we get there whenever we can but do you expect her to climb a ladder to change a battery ???????????
as I said the batteries were not just standard run of the mill so i phoned to ask where i could get them and they sent a van round I didn,t ask them to

Of course not John, bet your mam would love to be able toclimb a ladder, I'm not even too chuffed going up them myself.
Just a general comment on looking thru the posts, I never get on to an individual (no doubt next time I do then someone will climb all over me).

no problem but she would love to be able to climb a ladder

I would imagine they use it as a kind of PR exercise to raise their profile and make the point that prevention is better (and cheaper) than cure

I think that it may be a nice gesture by them but I agree,what an incredible waste of money.
They threaten us with fines at the hospital if they get called out to a false alarm if we make a cock up working on the fire alarm system. I can't remember the figure it was claimed to have cost but it was in the hundreds to cover the cost of the call out.

I asked this question years ago when i got my smoke alarm fitted, Why the fire engine and full crew?
Simple answer was, If they get a shout, they are all together with all the equipment, and off they go.

The fire service would FAR rather go there in the fire engine to go and fit/fix smoke alarms, then go their in the fire engine to rescue people stuck inside a burning building.

And bert makes a good point, if they get an important shout, then they're ready to go, don't have to go back to the station to pick up the engine and the rest of the crew.

I imagine the fire brigade don't have a whole lot to do when not on a shout, apart from sorting the equipment and possibly dealing with paperwork. Best get them out and about helping the community.

They could always just have a bloke that goes round in a van with a little step ladder fitting the alarms.

thats what they did for my mum just turned up in a van

I suppose it depends on the area and the referral they get through at the time if the man in his little van is avaliabe, and if the person is elderly/disabled and are nt able to do it themselves.

"I imagine the fire brigade don't have a whole lot to do when not on a shout, apart from sorting the equipment and possibly dealing with paperwork. Best get them out and about helping the community."

Sort of right, the fire fighters have to be available and near their appliances all the time but if we get half of the crews out doing smoke alarms it's like getting the resource for free. It also gets people to meet real fire-fighters which helps with the fire safety message

it does and them giving talks around schools, I am sure when they are not doing paperwork and servicing their equipment they are doing drills and work - outs or excercising

I agree with the scheme, but I don't particuarly think sending fire engines around to fit fire alarms is the most efficient way to be doing things, not when the public are being taxed more and the fire service, as with all other public services are facing cuts. How many MPG are modern-day fire engines getting, carrying tonnes of water and 6 - 8 firefighters, with a huge engine, maybe 5 - 10?

Seems a bit of a rediculous waste of money when a guy could drive round in a 70mpg Vauxhall Combo and do the same thing.

You watch, next year they will all be out on strike protesting against cutbacks in funding and pay-freezes etc...

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