Cardiff community alarm hailed a life saver

Cardiff Community Alarm has been praised by an elderly user of the service and her family. Eighty one year old Dorothy Griffin from Canton was saved from possible carbon monoxide poisoning thanks to the alarm and experience of alarm centre operator Rosa Psaila.

The Cardiff Community Alarm is a 24 hour, 365 day a year service which offers support and reassurance to vulnerable people. The service gives users an alarm button, which, when pressed sends a signal through the users telephone line to the alarm control centre to tell staff there is a problem.

Miss Griffin’s alarm is connected to the community alarm centre and other devices. One device is a carbon monoxide detector. When the carbon monoxide detector was activated Rosa assisted Miss Griffin and after assessing the situation contacted the fire service.

Once the fire service had established carbon monoxide was present, Miss Griffin was taken to hospital for a full check up.

With the cause of the carbon monoxide now addressed Miss Griffin is safely back in her home and is praising both the Cardiff community alarm team and the fire service. “I would like to thank everyone who helped make sure my home was safe and free from carbon monoxide. I would especially like to thank Rosa who calmly talked me through everything and called the fire service.”

Miss Griffin’s niece Janice Collins added “What could have been a traumatic event for my aunty was handled with great care and compassion. I can’t thank the community alarm team and fire service enough for what they did for my aunty. I would encourage anyone with an elderly or vulnerable relative to find our more about the alarm.”

Executive Member for Communities, Housing and Social Justice, Cllr Judith Woodman, said: “The community alarm gives piece of mind to users and their family and in this case it has helped save a life.

“I would like to thank Rosa and the fire service for their swift action in ensuring Miss Griffin’s safety and I am delighted to hear that she is back in her home.”

To find out more about the Community Alarm contact the team on Community Alarm telephone number 029 2061 4852 or email communityalarm@cardiff.gov.uk

Photohraph: Dorothy Griffin with control operator Rosa Psaila