How could this £500,000 have been better spent? Waking watches can go on indefinitely and cost residents a small fortune. There is no return on their investment and systems are available which can alert residents to evacuate even quicker.
Of course, safety comes before money but you do have to consider the financial implications and mental health of residents as well over a sustained period of time. Waking watches have their place of course but for me as a last resort. Assessors and engineers who recommend these to err on the side of caution as well as Fire Brigade Officers who tend to just go with what is written, should consider other options and sometimes use more pragmatic judgement. Sometimes, I feel, the option of a fast buck for these services overtakes the real needs of residents.
Never before have we had so much advanced technology and clever options available . You can't put a price on safety, but nor can you on general wellbeing, mental health and the consequences of the latter.
I wish everybody a Happy New Year. Time for resolutions. For me, I no longer watch or believe the Mainstream Media, Facebook or Twitter and will be looking for other more unbiased options moving into 2021. Stay safe!
