after the fire

This page contains information to help you manage the immediate effects of fire or flooding in your home. The Fire & Rescue Service will have responded swiftly to your emergency, but when we leave, you will have to deal with the aftermath yourself. The information is offered as a guide only but we hope it will help you deal with your immediate concerns and guide you to other agencies that can provide advice and help.

CONTENTS

• What shall I do first?
• What documents do I need?
• Safety
• Accommodation
• Security
• Chimney Fires
• Drying out and Cleaning up
• Cleaning the Kitchen
• Insurance
• Welfare
• Contact Us

Other Safety Advice

• Arson Prevention
• Babysitters
• Boat Safety
• Candles
• Caravan/Mobile Home
• Car Fires
• Care Homes
• Chimney Fires
• Close That Door
• Cooking Fires
• Domestic Sprinklers
• Electrical Safety
• Fire Action Plan
• Fire Extinguishers
• Fire Extinguisher Guide
• Fire Safety Outdoors
• Firesetters
• Firework Safety
• Heater Safety
• High Rise Fire Safety
• Hoax Calls
• Kitchen Safety
• Shared Housing
• Smoke Alarm Maintenance
• Smoke Alarm Provision
• Thatch Fires
• Unwanted False Alarms

British Red Cross -
Fire Victim Support Service

The FVSS is designed to meet the needs of people who have suffered damage to their home following a fire, flood or other similar incident.

What type of support is
available?

• Immediate temporary shelter in the FVSS vehicle
• Help in seeking temporary accommodation
• Emotional Support
• Support with the care of children and pets
• Use of shower and toilet facilities
• Provision of toiletries, clothing and light refreshments
• Use of a telephone
• Use of a camera to assist with insurance claims
• First aid
• Assistance in contacting insurers

The Fire Victim Support Service is delivered by trained British Red Cross volunteers who work in co-operation with the Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service.

The volunteers will attend the scene of a fire or similar incident only in response to a request from the Fire & Rescue Service.

The Fire Victim Support Service is free to the people receiving the service. All costs are met by voluntary donations to the British Red Cross Society.

The items below are the first steps to take, but the individual sections in this booklet can give you more detailed help.

1 - Safety
• Don't go into the house until you've been told it's safe by the Fire Fighters.
• Leave power supplies as left by us, until the professionals have checked and repaired.

2 - Security
You must arrange to:
• Secure windows, doors and other openings.
• Remove valuables if you don't intend to stay.

3 - Accommodation
If you can't live in the property then:
• Try to arrange accommodation with relatives or friends.
• If you can't, ask police to contact the local housing department for emergency accommodation.

4 - Welfare
If you've lost your belongings through damage or because you can't enter the building then:

• Contact Social Services for help with clothing and advice on other types of assistance.

DURING OFFICE HOURS Swindon 01793 466900 Salisbury 01722 327551 Trowbridge 01225 713983 Devizes 01380 730055	OUT OF HOURS Swindon 01793 437484 Wiltshire 08456 070888

5 - Insurance
• Inform your insurers of the situation as soon as possible.
• Arrange for a claim form to be completed.
• Find out what you can do before your claim is processed.

Documents can be easily damaged, lost or destroyed in fire, flood or storm. Locating the following papers can help speed up the process of disaster recovery. Citizen's Advice Bureau can often give advice and assistance..

Insurance
• Contact the local or head office of the insurance company.

Certificates of birth, death & marriage
• Contact issuing Registrar's Office or Head Office, Southport.

TELEPHONE DIRECTORY under REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS, DEATHS, MARRIAGES or 01704 569824

Bank, Building Society, Post Office Account Books
• Contact the account holding office who will arrange for duplicates to be supplied.

Driving License
• Contact DVLA (All Licenses)

DVLC SWANSEA SA 99 1AT - 08702 400009

Vehicle Documents
• Contact (All Licenses)

DVLC SWANSEA - 08702 400010

Passports
• Contact the:

PASSPORT OFFICE, Globe House, 89 Ecclestone Square, London SW1V 1PN
or HELPLINE 0870 521 0410

Pension Books
• Contact your local area office of the Department of Social Security. This organisation may be able to help with immediate financial needs, also

WILTSHIRE AREA DIAL - 01793 489610
TELEPHONE DIRECTORY under BENEFITS AGENCY or SOCIAL SECURITY, DEPARTMENT OF

Divorce Papers
• Contact the court office where the decree was made. They assist you with a replacement.

Property Title, Wills etc.
• Contact your solicitor who will have the documents reconstructed.

Stocks and Bonds
• Your stockbroker may have details of shares you hold.
• Your solicitor may be required to legally construct them.
• Enquiries regarding Post Office National Savings Bonds can be dealt with by your local Post Office.

Travel Documents
• Contact the travel agent who made the original bookings, or the carrier if transport documents were lost.

Medical Records
• Original documents will be held at your doctor's surgery, local hospital or the District Health Authority Offices.

YELLOW PAGES under HEALTH AUTHORITY

• Payment Books
Master records are kept by the organisation paid.

• Warranties
Registration cards or documents are held by manufacturers, or contact the retailer where you bought the goods for duplicate receipts.

• Tax Records
Your local tax office will hold all tax information and will help with any required information. Your employer will know which tax office to contact.

TELEPHONE DIRECTORY under INLAND REVENUE

You must make sure the property is left in a safe state to avoid injury to yourself and others.

1 - Service and Supplies
• Don't be tempted to switch any gas, electrical or water supply on if we have turned it off.
• Get affected power supplies checked and repaired by qualified persons.
• Contacts for electricians can be found in:

YELLOW PAGES under ELECTRICIANS & ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS

• For Electricity Board

TELEPHONE DIRECTORY under ELECTRICITY

• Contacts for CORGI gas installers

YELLOW PAGES under GAS INSTALLERS, CENTRAL HEATING SERVICES

• British Gas

TELEPHONE DIRECTORY under GAS

• and for bottled or tank gas (LPG or Liquid Petroleum Gas)

CONTACT YOUR GAS SUPPLIER or YELLOW PAGES under GAS BOTTLES & CONTAINERS

• If water supplies are affected, contact a qualified plumber or heating engineer

YELLOW PAGES under PLUMBERS

• And if outside, your local

WATER BOARD TELEPHONE DIRECTORY under WATER

• If telephone systems are affected, they don't usually present a safety risk but contact:

BRITISH TELECOM FAULT REPAIR SERVICE DIAL 151 or 0800 800

2 - Building Safety
If the building is considered unsafe by the emergency services:

• The public access may be fenced off and building repair left to you, or
• Emergeny shoring-up or demolition undertaken to avoid danger to the public.
• You may get advice at any time from your local authority Building Control Officer.

TELEPHONE DIRECTORY under LOCAL AUTHORITY 24 HOUR NUMBER

3 - Costs and Charges

All of the services above will involve a charge which you will normally be invoiced for:

If you have insurance cover most, if not all the recharges may be reclaimed from your insurer, but check with him if in any doubt.

If your own accommodation is unusable then:

• Try to arrange temporary accommodation with relatives or friends, or
• Contact the local authority housing department, or ask police to do this for you. Accommodation provided by a local authority will not cater for animals.

Animals
• Emergency assistance for animal accommodation can be obtained from the RSPCA.

24 HOUR CONTACT 08705 555999

Children
• Any help needed relating to care and accommodation of children can be given by social services.

DURING OFFICE HOURS

Swindon 01793 466900
Salisbury 01722 327551
Trowbridge 01225 713983
Devizes 01380 730055

OUT OF HOURS

Swindon 01793 437484
Wiltshire 08456 070888

Costs and Charges
• Charges may be made for the provision of bed and breakfast or other similar temporary accommodation arranged for you or your pets. If you are covered by insurance, these costs are likely to be reclaimed from your insurer.

Once you have dealt with the emergency, you are responsible for the security of your property. Your insurers will expect you to make adequate arrangements for the continued security of the property and contents.

1 - Weather Proofing
• If the Fire & Rescue Service cannot leave your roof weatherproof, contact a builder operating 24 hours service, who will sheet it up for you.

2 - Doors and Windows
• Opening in the property should be securely covered.
• If a council tenant, your housing department will help.
• Out of hours police can contact them for you.
• If an owner or private tenant, you can contact a 24 hour glazier to attend.

YELLOW PAGES under GLASS MERCHANTS

3 - Leaving the Property
• If you have to leave the property before it is secured, inform the Police, explaining any arrangements you have made with contractors.

4 - Valuables
• You should remove any valuables from the property if it is safe to do so. If you cannot, inform the Police of the valuables in the house and they may be able to retrieve them for you, or ensure its security.

5 - Costs and Charges
• Fire & Rescue Service weather sheets are only loaned free of charge for 7 days to help you make other arrangements.
• The use of builders, glaziers and other services will incur charges which are usually claimable through your insurer.

After the fire, the chimney may remain hot for several hours.
Don't be alarmed at creaking noises after the fire - they are caused by the chimney cooling down.
Put a non-combustible container in the fireplace, and half fill with water. This will catch any hot debris falling from the chimney.
Put a fireguard around the fireplace.
Don't relight the fire for 24 hours and have the chimney swept as soon as possible.
Thereafter get it swept once a year - twice a year if you burn peat or wood.
Have any metal flues checked by an installer before re-use.
If a very old house or thatched cottage, the Fire & Rescue Service will have taken extra precautions because of the chance of the fire spreading to hidden beams etc...

If you have any cause to think that you still have a problem call 999 again.

Whether you have experienced damage from fire, flood or storm, the process of cleaning up will not be easy, but some of the information below may help.

Remember
• Use professionals where their costs are covered by your insurance.
• Use dehumidifiers to dry out - not paraffin or gas heaters.
• Dry thoroughly using warm, dry air.

Carpets and Rugs

FITTED CARPETS
• Use wet/dry vacuum or carpet cleaner to extract water.
• Final rinse with very weak vinegar / water solution.
• Final extraction, and allow to dry naturally.

LOOSE RUGS OR CARPETS
• Lay flat on dry surface.
• Expose to warm, dry air until base of pile is dry.
• Sweep or vacuum, followed by carpet shampoo.
• Allow to dry naturally.

YELLOW PAGES under CARPET, CURTAIN & UPHOLSTERY CLEANERS, HIRE SERVICES, TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

Clothing and other textiles
• Always read the garment care label.
• Clothing is best sent to professional cleaners.
• Seek their advice about preparation for cleaning.

YELLOW PAGES under DRY CLEANING & LAUNDERERS, CARPET, CURTAIN & UPHOLSTERY CLEANERS

Shoes and other leather goods
• Wipe with a damp cloth, then a dry one.
• Stuff the bag or shoe with paper to retain shape.
• Leave bags and cases open to air.
• Use fine steel wool or a suede brush on suedes

Getting rid of the smell
• Use room deoderisers if the smell is slight.
• Contact a professional specialising in fire or flood damage

YELLOW PAGES under CLEANING & MAINTENANCE SERVICES

Walls, Wallpaper, Hard Floor Coverings

WALLS / CEILINGS
• Wash with mild detergent while wet, then rinse and allow to dry.
• Do not repaint until thoroughly dry.

WASHABLE WALLPAPER
• Heat / ventilate room for several days.
• If affected with mildew, wipe paper with damp soapy cloth.
• Repaste edges or loose sections.

HARD FLOOR COVERINGS
• If water is trapped underneath contact a professional.
• Surface cleaning can be carried out as normal.

YELLOW PAGES under FLOORING SERVICES

Uphostered furniture, matresses
• Brush with a broom or brush.
• Vacuum surface to draw out mould / mildew spores.
• Dry thoroughly using warm, dry air.
• Timber furniture should be dried first, then waxed or polished.

YELLOW PAGES under CARPET, CURTAIN & UPHOLSTERY CLEANERS, CLEANING & MAINTENANCE SERVICES

Art, Antiques, Books
• Restoration of art works is a professional job.
• Books can be opened and dried gently with dry paper leaves.
• If books and documents are very wet, freeze them and seek advice from professionals.
• Restoration of antiques is best dealt with professionally.

YELLOW PAGES under ANTIQUE REPAIR & RESTORATION, FURNITURE REPAIR & RESTORATION

Extra Labour
• If you don't want to employ professional help but need additional help or a work force to clear up.

YELLOW PAGES under EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES SOME HAVE 24 HOUR CONTACT NOS

1 - Dishes, Pots, Pans, Cutlery
• Clean and sterilise before re-using.
• Metals boiled in water for 10 minutes.
• Dishes in dishwasher or very hot soapy water.
• Sterilise in commercial sterilising sloution.

2 - Fridges, Freezers
• Defrost.
• Wash all surfaces with detergent solution.
• Rinse over with sterilising solution.
• Air dry while door is secured open.

3 - Foodstuffs
• If in doubt, THROW IT OUT!
• Food in sealed glass jars should be OK.
• Tinned food sealed, not dented, bulging or rusted, OK.
• Refridgerated or frozen foods are best thrown out.

1 - Damage to building or fitting
• Contact your buildings cover insurer or mortgager for a claim form. Ask what immediate expenditure can be made before an assessor sees the damage, particularly if the building is unsafe.

2 - Damage to Contents
• Contact your home contents insurer for a claim form if the contents of your property have been damaged.
• You will need to list everything that is damaged, by what, and its replacement value.

3 - If the damage to either building or contents is really severe, consider employing your own insurance loss adjuster to help you with your claim, if you anticipate difficulties. NEVER employ 'Doorstep' loss adjusters.

YELLOW PAGES under INSURANCE ADMIN & SERVICES

4 - Special Risks
You will need to discuss damage to specified items, eg: art works, with your insurers.

5 - Vehicles
If your car has been damaged by fire, flood or storm:
You must arrange for its removal from the highway, or Police may do so on your behalf.

AA - 0800 887666 (08705 500 600)

RAC - 0800 828282 (08705 722722)

OR
YELLOW PAGES under CAR BREAKDOWN RECOVERY

• Inform your insurers as soon as possible, inform them where the vehicle is, and obtain a claim form.

Charges and Costs
• Before committing yourself to high expenditure, always check with your insurer if the cost is reclaimable. Charges will be made for actions taken by Building Control or Police Officers to render an area safe to the public, eg: vehicle removal, public safety fencing and shoring-up of unsafe buildings.

Apart from the immediate help you receive from emergency services, there are several organisations who can help with welfare matters.

1 - Police
• Can contact other organisation on your behalf, particularly at night, weekends or holidays.
• They can help with emotional support, contacting relatives, and sometimes the provision of temporary furniture.
• They are able to put you in touch with appropriate support groups.
• They can assist with security of your property.

TELEPHONE DIRECTORY under POLICE

2 - Local Authority
• Housing Department - can assist with temporary accommodation needs, furniture storage and sometimes property security.
• Building control - can assist with property safety advice and action if required.

TELEPHONE DIRECTORY under LOCAL AUTHORITY NAME

3 - Social Services Department
• Can help with clothing and stoves through WRVS.
• Provide limited accommodation if you are elderly.
• Can help with the children.
• Can contact local and national charities who can help.

DURING OFFICE HOURS

Swindon 01793 466900
Salisbury 01722 327551
Trowbridge 01225 713983
Devizes 01380 730055

OUT OF HOURS

Swindon 01793 437484
Wiltshire 08456 070888

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE AND WANT TO CONTACT THE FRS FOR MORE INFORMATION, click here




		Fire & Rescue Service Headquarters, Manor House, Potterne, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 5PP Tel: 01380 723601 Fax: 01380 727000 Web site: www.wiltsfire.gov.uk Disclaimer/Copyright© 2003 Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service. All rights reserved.