The Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd is backing the Government’s Fire Kills campaign, which launched on the 7th of November.

The Commissioner is appealing to everyone to test their smoke alarms following recent research, which shows that only 28% of all households who own a fire alarm test them on a regular basis.[i]

He said: “Coming into the winter months, there is the risk of an increase in fire-related incidents and deaths compared to the rest of the year. This campaign is urging people to test their smoke alarms today and then to get into the habit of doing it monthly, as well as checking the alarms of people in your care, the elderly and the more vulnerable members of our communities.”

There were 229 fire-related deaths in the home last year across the UK[ii]. Analysis of fire data has also shown that you are at least seven times more likely to die in the home if you do not have any working smoke alarms.

To help keep you and your loves ones safe; the government has shared the following fire safety guidance advice:
 

• Test your smoke alarms by pressing their buttons once a month and change their batteries once a year if they have removable batteries
• If an alarm doesn’t beep when you test it, replace the battery or replace the alarm.
• Make sure there is at least one smoke alarm on each floor of your property.
• Never remove the batteries in your smoke alarms unless you are replacing them.
• Make sure that everyone in your home knows what to do in a fire and knows your escape route.
• Get out, stay out and call 999.

For more information on the Fire Kills campaign, visit www.gov.uk/firekills or contact Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Services www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/fire




[i] DCLG housing survey- Smoke Alarms in English homes: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/539096/Smoke_
[ii]  https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fire-statistics-data-tables, Table 502