WHEN Stan Worsfold had to evacuate his grandchildren from a fire at home he needed to keep their minds off the trauma.

Although generous neighbours took the family in, they were all left shocked and upset by the fire, which was started by an electric immersion heater caught light last month.

Now, a new service set up by the British Red Cross and Oxfordshire Ambulance Service aims to help fire and flood victims like Mr Worsfold's family and those who have suffered in the floods over Easter.

Volunteers will look after victims and man a caravanette which comes equipped with a shower, baby care facilities, toys, and a mobile phone to call friends and family.

Mr Worsfold, of Norreys Road, Cumnor, Oxford, said he and his daughter-in-law Margaret, and her three children Joshua, five, Jack, two, and 18-month-old Eleanor, would have welcomed the service. All five were treated for smoke inhalation by paramedics. He said: "It's a good idea for the children. They've got to be entertained and have their minds taken away from any shock there may be because of being rushed out of bed early in the morning.

"The five-year-old suffered from shock but the other one was wide awake, he was like a live wire because of the fire engine.

"It would be good for the parents, because they can be in shock too. My daughter-in-law was very upset for days and days afterwards." Mr Martin Gilman, of the Oxfordshire branch of the British Red Cross, said the Fire Victim Support Service (FVSS) would cost more than £10,000 a year to run. It already operates successfully in other UK counties, including Berkshire.

The caravan which will be stationed initially at The Slade fire station at Headington will be called out by the fire service and volunteers will carry pagers.

Facilities on board will include changes of clothing, snacks, toiletries, a polaroid camera for insurance purposes, blankets and pet food. There are also bunk beds, so that children can rest if they are tired.

Mr Gilman said: "We will help people check where their pets are and look for their cats and dogs.

"When children are involved, they get very upset that their cats have run off or been injured.

"We try to give practical help, like putting people in touch with their insurers or social services, and how to clean up afterwards."

He said the service would bridge a gap, to ensure victims were not left in limbo after a fire.

"The fire service's priority is to get back out," he said. "They try and help, but there's very little they can do. We're trying to plug that gap."

Oxfordshire Fire Service divisional officer Martin Crapper said: "As lead officer, I'm extremely optimistic that, when this service comes on line, it will quickly provide the level of service and after care which we would have liked to have provided for many years.

"Unfortunately we have not had the resources to do so. "The partnership with the Red Cross is exciting and should ensure quality of life returns as quickly as possible to the unfortunate victims of fire and flood." Please help VOLUNTEERS are desperately needed before the new service to aid victims of fires and floods kicks off in Oxfordshire in June.

Intensive training will begin on Thursday, April 16, so volunteers are able to cope with the demands of the job.

The volunteers will provide short term, practical and moral support to victims of domestic fires, or floods, within 90 minutes of being informed of the event.

All volunteers will be trained in preparing for an emergency, managing stress, basic first aid, handling those who cannot walk or who are elderly, co-operating with the fire service and driving the caravanette.

Training will be taken by the Red Cross, with three sessions held by the fire service about safety procedures.

Oxfordshire will be the 17th county in the UK to get the service and the Red Cross hopes to go national with it by 2003.

It will be funded by donations to the British Red Cross. Any individual or company wishing to make a donation, or train as a volunteer, should contact Martin Gilman or Linda Chapman at 101 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6JX, or telephone 01865 557377.

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