This week a potentially fatal house fire in an elderly resident’s home was prevented by a speedy response from Assist.

It just so happened that Mr Smith’s heat detector arrived this week, which was a good thing because it alerted Assist to smoke that was minutes from going up in flames. Emergency response staff from Assist arrived on the scene and called the London Fire Brigade to attend.

The feedback the London Fire Brigade gave Assist Operators was that Mr Smith’s gas was left on high with the kitchen door closed. The flat was scorching hot and it was minutes away from going up in flames. The Fire service said that if it wasn’t for Assist’s equipment and for the prompt actions of the operators, they could have been arriving at the scene later on that evening to a completely different outcome.

Stories like this serve as a reminder about the essential services like Assist provide to enable older vulnerable residents to live independently for as long as possible in their own home.

Residents can email assist@barnethomes.org to find out about the services and products Assist provide.