Fire Service resolution

If you are making any New Year resolutions this year, testing your smoke alarm every month in 2015 could be a life saver.

As the new year starts, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is asking people to make one of their resolutions in 2015 to test their smoke alarms monthly, make sure they are up to date and that they are positioned in the right place.

Why not circle the first of every month on your new calendar and tick it off when you have tested your alarms?

Many people see January as an opportunity for a fresh start, and safety should be top of the list. So this month Cheshire Firefighters are encouraging everyone to make sure they have enough smoke alarms in the home and that they work. It only takes a few seconds and saves lives.
A smoke alarm can give you the few extra seconds you need to escape in a fire.

For people who live in a multi-storey home or a larger property a single smoke alarm is simply not enough. Last year, in nearly half of all fires in the home where the smoke alarm did not give a warning, the reason was that the alarm was not close enough to detect the fire. Missing or flat batteries were another major cause.

To keep your alarms in working order:

Make sure there is at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home:

• Test your smoke alarms by pushing the button every month;
• Fit smoke alarms on landings and hallways and near bedrooms. Also consider in rooms which have an electrical appliance, eg a heater, or other risk.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service Head of Prevention and Protection, Keith Brooks said: "At this time of year, many people will be thinking of what resolutions they can make. A smoke alarm can offer vital protection for you and your loved ones, but most people simply fit and forget them once they are fitted.

"For most of us, there is nothing more important than keeping our loved ones safe and secure. So if your alarm is getting past its best or your top floor is missing an alarm of its own, make your New Year's resolution to fit new ones, test them on the first of every month and protect your loved ones in 2015. "
For more information about everything to do with smoke alarms please visit the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service website www.cheshirefire.gov.uk.

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