FIREFIGHTERS are working with people living in Hartlepool to tackle the high level of blazes in the town by offering free home safety checks.

Cleveland Fire Brigade is launching its first Fire Safety Zone scheme in partnership with Hartlepool New Deal for Communities (NDC) to cut the danger of fire in high risk areas.

The initiative has already identified three zones where a higher number of fire-related incidents have been reported.

The free checks will be a step up from the normal checks, as firefighters will be fitting specialist smoke alarms which have an integral battery that cannot be removed and require little or no maintenance.

The alarms are ideal for the elderly and have a ten-year life span. If a household already has a smoke alarm, they will be fitted with new ten-year batteries.

Ed Parrish, community safety officer said: "The aim of tomorrow's launch is to introduce people to the concept of the Fire Safety Zone Initiative and hopefully build the initiative up into a multi-agency partnership.

"We are keen for other partners to get involved with us to deliver any messages and advice of their own to the public and/or support us with our vision to greatly reduce the risk of injury, damage or possible death from fire related incidents within the fire safety zones.

"The NDC area of Hartlepool will be the first to sample the initiative and we are looking to set up Fire Safety Zones in Dormanstown towards the end of the year before moving into the rest of the brigade."

The launch of the project tomorrow takes place between 11.45am and 1.30pm at the Lynnfield Centre in Hartlepool with the Fire Service together with the NDC residents associations, crime prevention officers and other agencies.

Hartlepool NDC is a resident-led government-funded regeneration initiative which brings together residents and agencies to build a safe and strong community.

Clare Clark, NDC community safety manager said: "We are pleased to be working alongside the fire service on this important new initiative which will improve the safety and well being of residents.

"We would like to see as many NDC residents as possible participating in this initiative."