20 Mar Fire service present Basildon Council with £50,000 cheque for fire suppression system
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has handed over a £50,000 cheque to Basildon Council to contribute to the costs of the installation of a fire suppression system in a sheltered housing scheme.
The cheque was handed over by Essex Police, Fire and Crime Deputy Commissioner, Jane Gardner, at Ravensfield Court, Vange, on Wednesday 20 March.
The grant is part of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service’s Think Sprinkler Strategy. The sprinklers were fitted by the council’s contractor, Morgan Sindall Property Services, to the six-storey scheme last year.
Councillor Don Morris, Chairman of the Housing Committee, said: “We are delighted to receive this large contribution to the overall costs from the fire service which further boosts the fire safety at this scheme. The sprinklers cover each property and communal areas.”
Jo Turton, Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, added:
“It is fantastic that Basildon Borough Council have taken these steps to protect their residents, and we are pleased that with our funding help these homes now have the best fire protection available.
“Simply put, sprinklers offer the best fire protection available. They prevent fires from spreading by containing them to the room where they break out and often will completely extinguish a fire almost immediately.
“They are also proven life savers, there are no recorded cases of multiple fire deaths in premises where sprinklers are fitted.”
The total cost of the project was around £120,000.
