Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service is asking residents to regularly check their smoke alarms are working, as part of the Fire Kills smoke alarm campaign.
The campaign, which runs throughout October, urges people to test their smoke alarms, after figures showed that 28 per cent of smoke alarms failed to operate in fires in 2020-21.
There were 208 fire-related deaths in the home in the year ending March 2022. The Fire Kills campaign hopes that by encouraging everyone to regularly test their smoke alarms more deaths could be prevented.
Warwickshire County Councillor, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Fire, Andy Crump said:
“You are around eight times more likely to die in a fire if you don’t have any working smoke alarms. Making sure you have enough in your home and that they are working properly is vital to ensuring they do their job if fire was to break out.
“I would encourage residents throughout Warwickshire to make sure they test their smoke alarms and get into the habit of testing them regularly.
“Having smoke alarms in your home can save you and your family’s life. In the event of fire, working smoke alarms will give you valuable time to get out, stay out and call 999.”
To help keep you and your loved ones safe, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue offers the following tips:
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Test your smoke alarms now or when you get home
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Make sure you fit smoke alarms on every level of your home and test them regularly, even if they’re wired into the mains.
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Whatever happens, never remove the batteries in your smoke alarms unless you are replacing them. Some require new batteries every year.
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Plan and practise an escape route and make sure that everyone in your home knows it.
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In the event of a fire, get out, stay out and call 999.
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Test others smoke alarms who are unable to test their own.
For more advice on fitting or maintaining smoke alarms in your home, visit: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/smokealarms.