Time to check your smoke alarms

Time to check your smoke alarms

The Fire Service is urging householders to check their smoke alarms when they put their clocks back at the end of daylight saving on March 16.

National manager, community safety, Jim Dance, says smoke alarms save lives.

“Fires spread quickly and families have only a few precious minutes to get out. Smoke alarms provide a vital early warning system, particularly if a fire occurs at night when people are asleep.”

However smoke alarms won’t work with flat or missing batteries.

“Check your smoke alarm batteries when you put your clock back. If you don’t have smoke alarms, now is the time to get some.”

The Fire Service also suggests people clean their smoke alarms by gently vacuuming them regularly.

Duracell has continued its sponsorship by donating batteries to the Fire Service for low-income families. Mr Dance says these batteries have been distributed throughout the country so firefighters can help families who had installed smoke alarms, but found the cost of replacing batteries difficult to meet.

Smoke alarms should be installed in every sleeping, hall and living area and householders should have a home escape plan, including knowing and practising two ways of getting out of their house.

“We are also urging people who live in two-storey homes to identify an alternative means of escape should their main exit route become blocked.”

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