Fleggburgh Parish Council

In 2017 the PCC launched the Raise The Alarm Initiative in partnership with the Bishop of Norwich, Norfolk Churches trust, All Churches Trust and the Round Tower Churches Society with the aim to protect vulnerable churches against the rise in lead theft.

The initiative has seen the introduction of over 126 alarms. At the time of the Rural Policing Strategy Annual Report 2018-2019 we had seen a 57% reduction in reported lead thefts. In 2018 (01/01/18 to 01/01/19) there were 21 reports of lead theft in Norfolk. In 2019 this figure had dropped to 18.

Please remain vigilant around our rural churches. Report any suspicious activity as this may be a precursor to a criminal act. Don’t leave anything laying around that can assist offenders (tools, ladders benches near low roofs providing easy access). It may also be useful to consider setting up or joining a social media group with church wardens or caretakers to make others aware of any suspicious or criminal activity in or around the church. If anyone has had any success using other methods, please let other churches or the police know so that they can be circulated.

Norfolk Fire and Rescue (NFRS) – Derek Sim

I want to look at home fire safety and provide a few tips to help prevent fires in the home. One of the best ways of keeping you safe and alerting you to a potential fire in your home is a working smoke alarm. Recommendations are that you fit a smoke detector on every floor of your home, ideally on ceilings in the hallway or landing. Don’t put smoke detectors in the kitchen as these can be set off accidentally.

Test the batteries once a week by pressing the test button. If your smoke alarm doesn’t have a long life (5-10 years) battery, replace it each year.

As the kitchen is one of the higher fire risk areas of your home, here are some safety tips to reduce the risk of fire:

Do not leave cooking unattended – take the pans off the heat.
Take care when wearing loose clothing – it can easily catch fire.
Keep electrical leads, tea towels, and cloths away from the oven or hob.
Spark devices are safer than matches or lighters to light gas cookers.
Switch off the oven or hob when you’ve finished cooking.
Never leave children alone in the kitchen.
If you deep fry food, consider a thermostatically controlled electric deep fat fryer.

Prepare in advance and think about what you would do if you had a fire at home? Do you have an escape plan? Even if you’ve lived in your home for a long time, it can all seem very different in a fire, lack of vision, smoke, panic. So:

Plan your escape routes and keep exits clear.
The best route is the usual way in and out of your home.
Get everyone to test your escape plan.
Keep door and window keys handy – tell members of your household where they are.