14- 20th June - Home Safety Week - Focus is Fire Safety 🔥

The aim of this week is to focus on how alarms save lives and the importance of installing fire alarms, smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms. Along with encouraging people to assess their homes to ensure they have adequate alarms for their needs. 

Fire and Rescue Services can assist with specific advice for vulnerable groups and/or individuals and if required can fit smoke detection alarms (in some cases they may be able to install carbon monoxide alarms too).  

Some local Fire Services also offer a service in which they will make a note about any additional needs a person may have so that in the event of an emergency they will have information on their system to be able to help the person accordingly. 

Below are a few recommendations which we can all do to keep safe: 

• Minimum Standard is to fit smoke alarms on every floor of a home in a circulation spaces such as a hall or landing. 

• Additionally, smoke alarms are fitted in every room in the house which is regularly inhabited (such as bedrooms, living rooms and dining rooms) based upon the fire risk of the occupants. 

• It is recommended that smoke alarms have a sealed battery compartment to prevent tampering or removal of the battery.

• The Fire Service recommend an optical multi sensor smoke alarm with a ten-year life span. It is additionally recommended that a heat alarm should be fitted in the kitchen.

• All smoke alarms (including hard wired) should be replaced after ten years, or by the ‘replace by’ date indicated on the base or earlier if found to be defective. 

The link below is for an online questionnaire that can be used to assess the fire safety in your own home – Give it a try:

https://www.cheshirefire.gov.uk/homesafetycheck/

CO2 is also a focus point for this year’s home safety week. CO2 is a highly poisonous gas, which you cannot see, taste or smell. NFCC recommend that any room with a fuel burning appliance such as an open fire, wood burning stove or gas appliance such as a boiler or cooker should also have a working CO2 alarm.