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Council's in Ayrshire are working with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as they bid to reduce the number of deliberate fires in the county. Last week, Ayrshire Live revealed deliberate fire setting in the county had increased by almost 50 per cent in the first seven months of the year. That trend hasn't gone unnoticed and councils, in conjunction with the fire service, are working hard to try and combat the issue. Letters have been distributed to businesses in Kilmarnock about unsecure rubbish following the devastating impact of the King Street fire and the fire service now use the letter as part of their toolkit when attending similar fires. Further work by East Ayrshire Council has targeted home owners and businesses to raise awareness of the risks from deliberate fire raising and provide guidance on simple measures that could be taken to minimise these risks. Education initiatives such as East Ayrshire 's FireSkills programme and the work done by South Ayrshire 's joint action groups increase engagement with young people on key safety issues. South Ayrshire Council are also running their "highly successful" Bonfire Watch initiative which has reduced the number of unlicensed bonfires in the area. David Doran, health and safety manager at East Ayrshire Council in conjunction with Scottish Fire and Rescue, said: “ Our East Ayrshire Council health and safety officers and our partners in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) work together on a broad range of thematic and targeted interventions which focus on on both deliberate fire raising and general fire safety. “We work with our fire service partners to deliver presentations about deliberate fire setting to primary and secondary schools. “This year our Scottish Fire and Rescue colleagues have also produced a local educational syllabus, provided to all schools across Ayrshire at the start of each academic year to maximise engagement. “Our schools, SFRS and Police Scotland campus cops also work closely to identify individuals who may be involved in fire related anti-social behaviour and we join forces to educate those involved to reduce the frequency and impacts of such behaviour. “We have also worked jointly on a firework and bonfire protocol, which has been highly effective in reducing the number of unauthorised firework displays and bonfires across East Ayrshire. “Another example of joint working is our FireSkills programme which engages young people in a series of challenging activities where, working alongside trained firefighters, learners develop core skills such as communication, problem solving and team working. “Working in collaboration with the council, and services such as SL33/66 and Ayrshire College, SFRS provides courses in areas highlighted as hotspots for deliberate fire setting. “Following the deliberate fire in King Street, Kilmarnock, earlier this year, the council and fire service worked jointly to target homeowners and businesses in the town centre to raise awareness of the risks from deliberate fire raising, and provide guidance on simple measures that could be taken to minimise these risks, including a focus on safe storage of commercial waste. “We prepared a joint guidance leaflet, and officers from the fire service also met directly with homeowners and businesses to provide advice.” A South Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “The South Ayrshire Community Safety Partnership is supported by four joint action groups, which are led and co-ordinated by Thriving Communities. “The Safer Communities and Home, Road and Water Safety joint action groups work closely with all secondary schools across South Ayrshire to deliver safety education and engage with local residents on key safety issues within communities. “Additionally, the council’s detached youth work team visits areas prone to antisocial behaviour issues in order to positively engage with young people and encourage engagement in constructive activities and behaviours. “The joint action groups also lead on the Bonfire Watch initiative, which runs in the lead up to Bonfire Night each year. This initiative has been highly successful, with patrols taking place in areas historically known for unlicensed bonfires. “Bonfire Watch is promoted to local communities and community councils, encouraging members of the public to report unlicensed bonfire build-ups or safety concerns, so these can be addressed promptly.” North Ayrshire Council declined to comment. Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter
