Your smoke alarm is your unsung hero…if you check it’s working
The Fire Kills campaign is urging people to test their smoke alarms every month and to test those smoke alarms of the people they care for to make sure they work
Smoke alarms often get a bad press, with annoying false alarms and low battery warnings beeping in the night, so it’s easy to forget the essential job they do and quite how many lives they save.
But they just need a little help. A simple press of their button once a month ensures that they are in good working order. Research shows that, should a fire break out in your home, you are at least four times more likely to survive if you have working smoke alarms.
There were 188 deaths from fires in the home last year. The Fire Kills campaign hopes that by encouraging people to test their smoke alarms and to test the alarms of those they care for, more deaths could be prevented.
Help keep yourself, your ageing relatives and other loved ones safe in the home by following these simple steps:
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Make sure you fit smoke alarms on every level of your home and test them monthly.
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Make testing your smoke alarms part of your household routine in 3 easy steps:
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Test them by pressing their buttons once a month
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Change your battery once a year (if it has a one year battery)
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Clean the alarm casing to ensure dust isn’t blocking the sensor twice a year
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Whatever happens, never remove the battery in your smoke alarm unless you are replacing it.
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Make sure that everyone knows what to do in a fire and knows the escape route, along with a plan B in case the first way becomes blocked.
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For more information visit the Fire Kills campaign’s Facebook page at facebook.com/firekills
Working smoke alarms can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and call 999
