Fire community safety team

The Fire Community Safety Team was funded through a grant from the Communities and Local Government (CLG) to assist the brigade in better engaging with vulnerable and hard to reach groups and communities across London.

The two main community fire safety aims are:

• To prevent loss of life, injury, economic loss, property or heritage loss and environmental damage from fire and other emergencies.
• To reduce risk in London and to move the organisation to one focussed on prevention as our primary aim.

14 Fire Community Safety Officers (FCSOs) were recruited in December 2006 and enrolled on a comprehensive three week induction programme.

FCSOs work on borough based projects targeted at specific communities that fall within the seven CLG high risk groups:

• older people 
• ethnic minorities and faith groups
• people in poor housing
• people with drug and alcohol issues
• children and young people
• people with physical and learning difficulties
• people with mental illness

The FCSOs purpose is to establish and initiate links within these particular communities and provide a legacy of quality foundation work with recommendations on how it can be cultivated and maintained by a designated fire station as part of their community fire safety requirements. They also encourage the participation of home fire safety visits (HFSV).

The first phase of projects began in January 2007, with each project lasting between 3 and 5 months. Some excellent work has been done to date; with each FCSO making a substantial impact on their target group’s relationship with its local stations.

We’d be happy to discuss what an FCSO can deliver and how the legacy of a project can support and aid you to access and engage with the London Fire Brigade.

Contact Details:

• Fire Community Safety Team: 0207 587 6355/6126
• Email: FCSTeam@london-fire.gov.uk

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