Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is once again supporting the Fire Kills Smoke Alarm Purchasing campaign.
Smoke alarms are cheap and easy to install, while having a significant impact in preventing deaths in domestic fires. Statistics demonstrate that you are twelve times more likely to be killed in a fire if you do not have a working smoke alarm in your home.
Installing only one smoke alarm is not enough to protect yourself, however. It is recommended that you fit at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home.
47% of cases where a smoke alarm failed in detection of a dwelling fire occurred where the fire product(s) did not reach the detector. 16% occurred where the fire was in an area not covered by the system. This emphasises the importance of proper placement of your fire detectors.
Gail Muirhead, Prevention Manager at RBFRS, says: “Smoke alarm placement is crucial to the early detection of fires in homes. Ideally, place at least one smoke alarm on every floor of your house.
“If your home is over several levels, you may find it useful to have linked alarms installed. When one alarm detects a fire, they all will go off together.
“If it is difficult for you to fit smoke alarms yourself, contact your local fire and rescue service to arrange a Safe and Well Visit. They will be happy to help.”
A Safe and Well Visit is a free service that we provide to eligible residents. The visit will take place at home, and is tailored to individual health and wellbeing needs, as well as fire risk reduction.
The eligibility requirements for a visit are on our Safe and Wells website page. See below for more details:
Are you a resident? | Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Simply installing multiple smoke alarms in your home is not sufficient. You must also regularly test your alarms. While 93% of households reported that they had working smoke alarms, only 23% of those surveyed had ever tested them.
It is highly recommended to test your smoke alarms weekly.
To test your smoke alarm, press the button until the alarm sounds. If it doesn’t sound, you need to replace the battery. In addition, vacuum your smoke alarms every six months to remove dust. This reduces the risk of your smoke alarm becoming defective.
If your alarms have a one-year battery, ensure they are changed annually. If it is a ten-year battery, replace it every ten years. Only take the battery out when you need to replace it.
If your alarms are mains-powered, they need to be installed by a qualified electrician. Like battery alarms, they do require testing. These alarms also have their own back-up battery to ensure they function in the event of a power cut. These should be changed as required.
For further information regarding smoke alarms, please see our website: