"Fireman" Dean accepts the fire safety award

Dean Kerr calmly shut the door of the room where the fire had started in his west Edinburgh home, phoned the fire brigade and then ensured everyone else in the house got outside.

The youngster was given the inaugural Don't Give Fire a Home Award by Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade workers at Tollcross Fire Station.

A brigade spokesman said that if the primary school pupil had not been so quick there was no doubt "someone could have been trapped or injured".

"In recognition of the bravery Dean showed, it's only fitting that he receive the first of these awards," the spokesman added.

Dean alerted his parents and picked his brother out of his bed, carried him down the stairs and took him out of the house on the city's Parkhead View.

It is thought that the fire was started by a candle in the bedroom of his nine-year-old sister Leigh.

His mother Linda said the first she knew something was wrong was when Dean came and told her there was a fire and that he had called 999.

Public complacency

The Don't Give Fire a Home award was launched by the Scottish Executive in order to recognise heroic efforts from people in the face of fire.

It forms part of the new national fire safety campaign for Scotland, developed by the executive and fully supported by the Scottish Fire Services.

The long term campaign seeks to reduce fire deaths and injuries through raising public awareness of fire risks in the home, especially those caused by everyday items such as candles and domestic electric appliances.

Extensive research has formed the basis of the campaign strategy, which highlights public complacency regarding fire prevention as the core problem facing the Scottish Fire Services.

Scotland has the highest number of fire fatalities per capita in the whole of the UK.