‘Fit alarms on every level of your home’

ALL AREAS: A new campaign is being launched to encourage residents to make sure they have enough smoke alarms in their households.

Run by the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS), the month-long Fire Kills Smoke Alarm Purchasing campaign is encouraging people across Berkshire to purchase smoke alarms if they do not already have enough in their homes.

A common reason for smoke alarms not activating in the event of a fire is because smoke did not reach the detector.

This means that one smoke alarm may not be enough to provide the best chance of escaping a fire, whereas multiple alarms

increase the chances of providing a vital early warning sign.

Gail Muirhead, west hub prevention manager, said: “Having one smoke alarm in your home may not be enough to protect you and your family from a fire in the home. We would encourage all of our residents to fit a smoke alarm on every level of their home and test them weekly to ensure that they are working correctly.

“In the event of a fire, working smoke alarms will give you valuable time to get out, stay out and call 999.”

RBFRS added that it encourages residents to install at least one smoke alarm on every level of their home, with additional alarms in other rooms where there are electrical appliances and near sleeping areas.

Maintenance of smoke alarms is also important, with weekly tests and keeping the batteries installed at all times unless they are being replaced.