To help prevent a fire in your council home, you should:

• never smoke in shared areas
• never store anything in a shared area or use a shared area to get rid of something - call us on 0800 028 1870 if you need help removing something
• not store anything that could catch fire in your garage or on your balcony
• never block fire exit routes or prop open fire doors
• tell us if your needs change and whether you would need help in the event of a fire
• follow the steps on the fire action notices in your block in the event of a fire
• report any damage to safety equipment to us

Mobility scooters

As mobility scooters can be a fire hazard and could block fire exits, we expect you to keep them in your own home or use purpose-built storage.

If you do not remove your scooter from a shared area, you will be in breach of your tenancy agreement and we may take further action.

If you rely on a mobility scooter, we can help you contact an occupational therapist or a homes support officer to see if other help is available.

Further safety guidance can be found on the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service website.

E-bikes and e-scooters

E-bikes and e-scooters should not be stored in escape routes or in communal areas of any of our multi occupied buildings and will be removed if found.

Storage and charging safety advice can be found on the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service website.

What to do if there is a fire in your building

If you discover a fire in your flat, you must:

• leave your flat and make sure the door closes behind you
• leave the building using the nearest emergency exit route
• call 999 to report the fire if it's safe to do so

If you are inside your flat and think there may be a fire somewhere in the building, a stay-put procedure applies which means you should:

• stay inside your flat until the fire service tells you to leave or until your flat is affected by heat or smoke
• shut all doors and windows
• call 999 to report the fire

If you think there is a fire and you are somewhere else in the building such as a corridor or staircase, you should:

• leave the building using the nearest fire exit
• call 999 to report the fire
• let the fire service know immediately if someone has not been able to leave your flat

Do not return to your flat until the fire service say it is safe to.