It’s probably not the first thing you think about or the last thing at night, but the difference between having one that works and one that doesn’t could save your life. When I moved to Ramsgate, I contacted our local fire department and asked what was the protocol with our fire alarm and it turned out ours was quite a few years old.
Having a working smoke alarm in your home is super important though. Think about your family’s safety too. According to GOV.UK, you are four times more likely to die in a fire in your home if you don’t have a working alarm.
Smoke alarms aren’t expensive and most fire services provide free home safety checks and free smoke alarms. It doesn’t take much to buy one or get one installed and even if there’s never a moment to use it, it’s nicer to feel safer with one installed.
The GOV.UK website offers a handy fire safety guide if you’re unsure about buying one, it’s available here.
Every year the fire and rescue service is called over to 600,000 fires which result in over 800 deaths and over 17,000 injuries. About 50,000 of this (about 140 a day) are in the home, killing nearly 500 and injuring over 11,000. Terrifying thinking of it. The horrifying part of this is that many of these could have been prevented if people had an early warning and were able to get out in time. In fact you are twice as likely to die in a house fire that has no smoke alarm than a house that does.
If you think you need to update your fire alarm or buy a new one, Fire Services Website has a great post about the range on offer, what to look for and why they’re important. For more information visit their website.
Missy, Me & Him 