FAMILIES in Cheshire are being urged to check their smoke alarms as they prepare to turn the clocks back at the end of this month.
The clocks go back at 2am on Sunday, October 26 and as summer time officially ends, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service are asking people to prepare for the autumn and winter by checking their smoke alarms.
Chair of the fire authority Cllr Tony Hooton said: “Unfortunately the summer is behind us and dark evenings seem imminent. Many people will be thinking about keeping warm, lighting central heating boilers and turning on electric blankets. While preparing for autumn and winter, which we hope won’t be too severe, don’t forget to check your smoke alarm.
“Smoke alarms have been responsible for detecting many of the 53,000 house fires the Fire and Rescue Service is called to nationally each year, but many of the deaths which continue to occur, could be avoided if you look after your smoke alarm.
“More and more homes now have smoke alarms but over a 12 month period in Cheshire over a third of dwellings where smoke alarms were fitted did not activate due to failure or defective equipment, often caused by the battery being disconnected, missing or needing replacement.”
If you have a conventional smoke alarm the following advice should be noted:
Regularly check the alarm by pressing the button.
Annually vacuum and wipe the smoke alarm casing to ensure dust isn’t blocking the sensor chamber (for mains wired alarms, switch off first).
Whatever happens – never remove the battery to use it for other purposes.
Cllr Hooton added: “We know that smoke alarms save lives. They can give you and your family the necessary warning to get out in the early stages of a fire, which should in turn allow us to get to you more quickly. Once fitted, they do require testing and some annual maintenance.
“The one sombre message I would leave you with is dead batteries can be replaced, dead families cannot.”
