Tick, Tock, Test your smoke alarm

AS the clocks go back this weekend, Cheshire Fire and Rescue service is reminding people to test their smoke alarms are working.
Last year over half the 213 fire deaths in the home were caused by smoke inhalation. Working smoke alarms can give people the vital wake-up call they need to escape – because smoke will not, it will leave you for dead.
In the majority of fatal house fires, smoke alarms were either absent or did not go off – and a common cause was missing or flat batteries.
The Tick Tock Test campaign urges people to test their smoke alarms by a simple push of the test button, which will test both the power supply and the detection mechanism.
Head of Prevention and Protection, Keith Brooks said: “Smoke alarms are a well-proven lifesaving 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 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 25-26 October why not test yours when you change the clocks, it could be the difference between life and death.”
For more information visit www.cheshirefire.gov.uk