Test your smoke alarms when you change your clocks!

Firefighters in West Sussex are supporting a new video from the Fire Kills campaign urging people to test their smoke alarms when they change their clocks this month.

The video “On Your child’s Life’ can be seen here: 

Dramatically highlighting what is at stake in a house fire, it shows a young boy exploring the burnt-out shell of his former home, examining his old toys, and asks people to make a life-saving promise – to test their smoke alarms when they change their clocks over the Easter weekend.

A working smoke alarm can buy you and your family the valuable time you need to get out, stay out and call 999. But you are more than four times as likely to die in a house fire if you don’t have a working smoke alarm.

Tragically, last March, two people lost their lives in separate house fires in West Sussex where, in both cases, the smoke alarms had been removed. West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is determined to prevent any more deaths and make sure people test their alarms when the clocks change on March 31.

Many people will already have a list of household tasks and DIY plans for the long weekend, so why not add this simple test on to the list. It is also a family time so a perfect opportunity to test alarms for older relatives who might find it hard to reach their alarms but who are often at greater risk.

By pushing the ‘test’ button on every smoke alarm, people could save the lives of their nearest and dearest – children, parents and friends alike.

Community Safety Officer for West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Jackie Boyle, said:

“A working smoke alarm is a proven life-saver and is absolutely essential to keep you and your family safe. But only half of all householders who own a smoke alarm say that they test it is working on a regular basis.

“We’ll all be losing an hours sleep when the clocks change, let’s make sure that’s all people lose. Don’t take the chance on your family’s life. Promise to test your alarms during the clock change weekend, and let’s make it a household habit.”