Fire Service donates smoke alarms to Chernobyl children

A group of children from Chernobyl will now be better protected against the risks of fire in their homes, thanks to a donation of smoke alarms from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

Kingsbridge firefighters were delighted to play host to 10 youngsters from the Gomel region of Belarus, an area hugely affected by the nuclear accident at Chernobyl. As part of the visit organised by Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline, the Service provided smoke alarms for the children to take back to their homes.

Kingsbridge Station Commander Gerald Taylor said: “We were delighted to help. We are all too aware of the massive long-term health issues that could affect these children as well as the disastrous economic legacy left by the explosion.

“Many of them live in wooden houses and these smoke alarms could save lives. This also is a great opportunity to remind the people of the South Hams to test their own smoke alarms, every week.”

During their break in Devon, the children had a tour of the Kingsbridge fire station and fire engine and learned valuable safety information.

The visit was part of the group’s four-week recuperative stay in the UK to help improve their health. The children visit during the summer months when dust in their contaminated home village causes radiation levels to rise.

The prolonged spell of fresh air and clean food in the UK helps to reduce the radioactive levels which have built up in their bodies, providing a vital boost to their immune system which lasts for at least two years, helping them to recover from and resist serious illness.