Home Fire Safety Assessment Partner Referrals


What is a Home Fire Safety Assessment? 

A Home Fire Safety Assessment (HFSA) is a free home visit by the Fire and Rescue Service. During the visit we will provide fire safety advice and equipment depending on risk. We’ll need to talk to householders about their health, home environment and their daily activities in order to understand their fire risk and provide the best advice for them. 

How do I make a referral for an HFSA? 

Start the Online Home Fire Safety Check (external website)

To find out whether your service user is eligible for a HFSA, click the button above and fill in the online home fire safety check. You will need the agreement of your service user to refer them to us. Ideally fill it in alongside your service user to ensure you can answer all the questions in the check.  

At the end of the check you will be provided with online fire safety advice that can be printed off and given to your service user or, if they are eligible for a visit, you will be asked to submit their and your contact details. We will then telephone you or your service user directly to arrange their HFSA. 

Want to find out more about our HFSAs?

Learn all about our HFSAs by watching the short animation below. This includes information about what an HFSA is, the benefits, who is eligible for a visit and how to make a referral.

Home fire safety assessment animation video

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We are Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.

You might know about our firefighters, fire engines, and how to call us in an emergency.

But that is not all we do.

We help stop fires from happening in the first place.

In this short film, we will tell you all about our Home Fire Safety Assessments.

These are home visits we provide for free to keep people like you safe.

We cover the whole of Greater Manchester.

So, if you live in Greater Manchester, whether you are in a house or flat, and whether it is owned or rented, this film is for you.

And, if you provide care or support to someone who lives in Greater Manchester, this film is for you too.
To find out if you, or someone you provide care or support for, are eligible for a Home Fire Safety Assessment, it is easy.

We have an online Home Fire Safety Check.

Our web address is www.manchesterfire.gov.uk. Go to our online Home Fire Safety Check.

Click on the link and enter your postcode or the postcode of the person you are supporting, to start the check.

You will be asked a series of questions about the home, who lives there, whether there are working smoke alarms in place and about everyday activities, such as cooking and heating.

You might be surprised to find that we also ask about things like mobility, physical and mental health, sensory impairment, clutter, and learning disability. We are not being nosy. This information is important because these factors impact on the risk of a fire starting and on chances of a safe escape if a fire does break out.

The answers you provide help us to weigh up if you, or the person you are providing care and support for are eligible for a Home Fire Safety Assessment.

If your answers tell us that the fire risk is low, we will not need to visit to deliver a Home Fire Safety Assessment.

Instead, our online system will display fire safety advice, based on the answers you have entered, about cooking safety, electrical safety, escape planning, smoke alarms and more.

If your answers tell us that the fire risk is slightly higher, you will be invited to complete and submit an online referral form for a Home Fire Safety Assessment.

If you are a professional, or concerned other, acting on behalf of someone you provide care and support to make sure you have their permission to share their information with us before you make the referral.

All referrals are received by our contact centre.

They are a small team of friendly people.
When they receive your referral they will telephone you, or the person you have referred, to arrange an appointment for a Home Fire Safety Assessment. The contact centre also accepts telephone referrals for people who do not have online access.

So, if that is you, do not worry – telephone our contact centre on 0800 555 815 and they will assess and process your referral on the phone.
But what is a Home Fire Safety Assessment?
Well, it is a home visit, from a member of our staff – either a Prevention Advisor or an Operational Firefighter.

They will ask the householder about the home environment, everyday living routines and the people that live there.

They will explain how these things can impact on fire risk and provide safety tips and advice.
Our staff will look around the home, with the householder, to identify hazards and help to make these safe.

This could be things like overloaded plug sockets, cooking hazards or heating hazards.

They will talk about having a safe bedtime routine to reduce the chances of a fire starting when the household is in bed.

They will help to agree an escape plan for the household, so that everyone knows what to do if a fire starts.

They will also check that there are enough smoke and heat alarms in the home and test them to check they are working.

Every home should have a minimum of one working smoke alarm per floor, and a heat alarm in the kitchen.

Test your alarms regularly by pushing the big test button in the centre.

A series of loud beeps means that the alarm is working.

If the home is not adequately protected, our staff will fit smoke alarms and may fit a heat alarm in the kitchen depending on the risk.

Our staff will also help householders to access support from other services that can help with issues that underpin fire risk - things like mobility, mental health, memory impairment, substance use and smoking.

A Home Fire Safety Assessment makes households safer, provides peace of mind, and could even save a life!

We hope you have enjoyed this short film.
For more information, to complete an online Home Fire Safety Check and to make a referral for a Home Fire Safety Assessment please visit www.manchesterfire.gov.uk.

That is all from us here at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.

Thanks for joining us. Stay safe.

How do you store my data?

Full details of what happens to your data and any data you provide on behalf of your service user can be viewed in our HFSA Privacy notice (internal webpage). 

Who can have an HFSA?

If your service user is a Greater Manchester resident and you or they are concerned that their physical or mental health, home environment or daily activities might increase their fire risk or reduce their chances of escape, they may be eligible for a HFSA. For example a person;

  • with impaired mobility that could impact on their ability to escape
  • who may be unable to hear or respond to a sounding smoke alarm
  • whose drug or alcohol use could increase the risk of a fire starting and prevent their escape if a fire starts
  • who smokes and lives alone with no smoke detection
  • living with Dementia who may be unable to recall fire safe practices in the home
  • with a very cluttered home environment which could increase the risk of a fire starting and prevent their escape if a fire starts

What if my service user is not eligible for a HFSA? 

You will be provided with personalised fire safety advice at the end of the online check, that you can email or print out and give to them. You can also direct them to read more advice on our Home Fire Safety pages. 

What if I can’t fill in the online check? 

You can telephone us on 0800 555 815 and our contact centre staff will assist you to arrange an HFSA for your service user if they are eligible for a visit.  

Will my service user get a free smoke alarm? 

If they are eligible for an HFSA, we will assess their requirements for smoke alarms during the visit and fit them for free depending on our assessment. If they are not eligible for an HFSA we strongly recommend that they buy and fit at least one smoke alarm on every floor of their home. 

How can I support my service user? 

If you wish to attend the visit with your service user, record this in the Additional Comments/Concerns box when you fill in your details on the online check.  

You can support your service users by encouraging them to follow our fire safety advice. For people who are unable to practise fire safety independently, you can work with us to identify safer solutions and support your service users to implement them at home. Such as testing their smoke alarms at least monthly for them if they are unable to do so. We recommend you include fire safety into your needs assessments and care plans. 

Is there a case study available? 

Yes, we have a case study of a Home Fire Safety Assessment (internal webpage), which was referred to us by a partner. 

Who do I contact for further information? 

For further information about working in partnership with us in your local area, contact your local Prevention Manager: 

Prevention Manager, Manchester: Melanie Kearney 
kearneym@manchesterfire.gov.uk
0161 909 0312 / 07734 275703

Prevention Manager, Salford: Andy Pownall 
pownalla@manchesterfire.gov.uk 
0161 609 0212 / 07977 410605

Prevention Manager, Bolton and Wigan: Derek Dempster
dempsterd@manchesterfire.gov.uk
01204 902112 / 07734 275762

Prevention Manager, Oldham and Tameside: Andy Williams 
williamsa@manchesterfire.gov.uk
0161 909 8634 / 07812 207297

Prevention Manager, Stockport and Trafford: Louise Atkinson
atkinsonl@manchesterfire.gov.uk
07772 210774

Prevention Manager, Bury and Rochdale: Liz Hinchcliffe
elizabeth.hinchcliffe@manchesterfire.gov.uk 
07580 698644

Do you offer any partner training? 

If you would like to talk to us about home fire safety training for your staff, please visit Fire Safety in the Home Training (internal webpage).

How do I keep informed about fire safety? 

You can sign up to our Fire Safety newsletter (external website) to keep informed about our work and our latest safety advice.  

How do I request fire safety leaflets? 

We have a selection of fire safety leaflets available on our website to print (internal webpage). If you would prefer printed copies to distribute to your service users, please email preventioneducation@manchesterfire.gov.uk. There are also several Fire Kills leaflets (internal webpage) available to download in other languages.  

During a HFSA your service users will be provided with leaflets that are relevant to their fire risk. If the visit is conducted via telephone these will be posted. 

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