FIREFIGHTERS are helping to keep West Yorkshire homes warm thanks to a new heating assistance scheme.
While carrying out their free home safety checks, firefighters are now asking householders simple questions to see if they are having problems paying fuel bills and keeping their homes warm and safe.
This is part of the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Hotspots scheme, which aims to make sure vulnerable people get help they need to heat their homes.
The scheme is being run in conjunction with energy efficiency charity National Energy Action, which is running a summer campaign called Don’t Wait Til It’s Too Late!
The campaign is being backed by Glen Murphy, who played firefighter George Green in TV drama London’s Burning.
Don’t Wait Til It’s Too Late aims to encourage people to prepare for the colder months by getting vital insulation and heating measures installed or repaired before temperatures drop.
Mr Murphy said: “The fire service do an incredible job saving lives by putting out fires. But this campaign also sees them helping to save lives in another just as important way.
“Playing a fireman opened my eyes to the vital emergency role fire crews play and this campaign is a great way of highlighting the crucial job they do helping vulnerable families cope with energy costs.”
Simon Hemingway, from the West Yorkshire service, said firefighters were well placed to find out which households needed help with heating.
“A few simple questions can identify if a household is struggling to keep warm and can signpost them to vital assistance.”
Once a firefighter has filled in a Hotspots check card it is sent on to the local Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, which will check to see if a household can have benefits or a heating and insulation grant.
