Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) has won an award at this year’s Kent Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) awards ceremony.

Announced on Friday by the Kent DAA, the awards aim to recognise and celebrate the hard work undertaken across the county over the last year to improve the lives of people living with dementia.

We were delighted to receive the Large Dementia Friendly Organisation award (more than 50 staff) at this year’s ceremony, and it was fantastic to celebrate the good work taking place across the community aiming to make Kent a ‘Dementia Friendly’ county. The Kent DAA is a group of Kent organisations who work together to better meet the needs of those with dementia, ensuring everyone in Kent can live well within their communities.

KFRS, along with the other emergency services, including Kent Police, South East Coast Ambulance Service and Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospital, also won the Community and Partnership Project award for working together to deliver the West Kent Emergency Services Dementia Event which was held in May 2019.  110 staff attended from all sectors and the day was designed to educate and empower staff.

KFRS Director of Operations Sean Bone-Knell, said: “Offering extra support and help to those living with dementia is just part of what we do as a service – but it’s always fantastic to receive an award that recognises this. We provide dementia training for our home safety officers and firefighters to ensure we are fully able to recognise dementia in our day-to-day work, and offer helpful advice during our Safe and Well visits to keep people as safe as possible.”

“Earlier this year, we also made a pledge to get all staff at KFRS to become Dementia Friends, and our staff knitted around a thousand blue forget-me-nots to promote dementia awareness – the flowers were also displayed at Friday’s awards ceremony. People living with dementia sometimes need a helping hand to go about their daily lives and feel included in their local community, and understanding this is partly what being a Dementia Friend is all about. As a service, we do everything we can to help those living with dementia – but by becoming a dementia friend, you too can learn and understand the small things that everyone can do to make that difference in the community.”

If you or someone you know is living with dementia, why not refer them for a Safe and Well visit? Just call KFRS' friendly team on 0800 923 7000 and our home safety officers or firefighters will visit your home at a convenient time for you, to provide tailored advice to keep you safe.