Ronald McDonald House Charities
Overview
Ronald McDonald House Charities provide free home-away-from-home accommodation for families with a very sick child in hospital. The charity has a growing portfolio of 11 properties located close to the children’s ward at hospitals across the UK. The likely occupants of their buildings include members of staff, parents and their children. Benfield Fire Safety is the charity’s preferred supplier for all their fire safety needs.
Services Provided
Our Approach And Solution
Benfield Fire Safety has been providing ongoing support to Ronald McDonald House Charities since 2018. We have been consulting with Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service and acting on behalf of the client for the implementation of a “Primary Authority Agreement” for all of the homes managed by Ronald McDonald House Charities. Fire authorities across the UK may have slight variations as to the implementation of the fire safety law, for this reason, it is good to have one authority for your portfolio of properties and work to one set of implemented rules/policies.
It is important that complex properties with sleeping accommodation have a sufficient fire risk assessment in place with strategies for alerting and waking residents and ensuring the correct evacuation procedures. Due to the buildings being across more than one storey, evacuation chair training is provided to all staff to help ensure disabled, visually impaired and residents with other mobility issues can be brought to safety.
Due to the location of the properties on or close to hospital sites, we are unable to train staff outside using real fire extinguishers and our gas simulator. However, this is not a problem for Benfield Fire Safety; we are one of the only training providers in the UK providing indoor fire extinguisher training using a digital fire simulator and laser extinguishers, along with the use of smoke goggles. This ensures that all staff experience a realistic fire emergency inside their workplace with training on how to detect, assess and extinguish a fire.
Testimonial
Fabulous Support
Benfield Fire Safety provides fabulous support to Ronald McDonald House Southampton and to the charity as a whole. Jason offers fantastic training and advice and his knowledge is second-to-none. Benfield Fire Safety has supplied fire safety training and consultancy for our Southampton House and for the wider charity as an approved supplier, offering a whole host of different training and fire risk assessments. Thank you to Jason and his team for their dedication, professionalism and support.
Sarah-Jayne Bevis
House Manager, Ronald McDonald House Charities Southampton
