As part of the Fire Kills campaign, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is asking people across the county to welcome British Summer Time by Tick Tock Testing their smoke alarms when they change their clocks over the weekend of 28-29 March.
The spring cleaning list may already contain many chores like cleaning windows, redecorating or tidying up the garden, but one of the simplest items to tick off is testing your smoke alarms. The Fire Kills campaign in conjunction with local fire services, is asking people to make an online pledge to test their smoke alarms this clock change weekend. It could be a life saving decision.
Most people think that a fire will never break out in their homes but you’re four times more likely to die in a fire in your home if you do not have a working smoke alarm.
A simple push of the ‘test’ button only takes seconds, so make sure it’s added to your spring to-do list. As well as testing your own alarms, think about helping older people who may find it more difficult to test theirs. Sadly over half of all people who die in fires in the home are aged 65 or over.
Many householders don’t realise that the smoke from a fire in the home can be deadly. Smoke will not wake you up if there is a fire in your home – it will kill you. Smoke is responsible for over half of all deaths in accidental fires in homes. A working smoke alarm is the best way to make sure you have enough time to get out, stay out and dial 999.
Area Manager Steve Foye of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Smoke alarms are an effective life saving tool, but they are no use if they are not working. You are at least four times more likely to die in a fire if you don’t have a working smoke alarm, so taking the time to test the smoke alarms in your home, and in older friends and relatives’ homes could be a truly lifesaving decision.
“The clock change weekend can act as a great reminder to test your smoke alarms – so over the weekend of 28-29 March why not test yours when you change the clocks and get into the habit of testing them weekly to protect the ones you love”.
In March 2014, nearly one in seven people tested their smoke alarms when they changed their clocks to British Summer Time. This spring, Fire Kills is determined that even more people will keep their loved ones safer from fire by testing their smoke alarms. Everyone can join in and pledge to test via the Fire Kills Facebook page or online and mobile phone adverts.
