Boromir Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 Make sure your smoke alarms are working. A man has died from fire no more than a hundred metres from where I live. So please be safe and take care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
death from below Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 A tip for parents with young kids - I hoist my kids up onto my shoulders once a week so they can press the test button - makes sure they work and gets the little 'uns used to the noise should God forbid they ever go off in the night (and not just when I've burnt my latests attempt at cooking). They associate the screech with fire. A false alarm may give them a bit of a shock but it's better than the alternative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex C Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 A tip for parents with young kids - I hoist my kids up onto my shoulders once a week so they can press the test button - makes sure they work and gets the little 'uns used to the noise should God forbid they ever go off in the night (and not just when I've burnt my latests attempt at cooking). They associate the screech with fire. A false alarm may give them a bit of a shock but it's better than the alternative. What a cracking idea, i have never thought of that. Will be lifting and testing at bedtime. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throbbingfinger Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 A good thing to do is have a fire plan for your home. Talk to the kids about what to do if there is a fire. What to do if they hear the fire alarms during the day and at night. Tell them how to keep safe If they can't wake mummy and daddy and can't get out the house. Teach them how to call for help. Every time the smoke alarms go off ask them what they should do. Do a fire drill with them one bedtime, trigger a smoke detector and get them to jump out of bed and get out the house. It may seem a bit OTT but for a few minutes chatting with them it could save their life. If your doing some hefty diy why not consider some interlinkable mains powered detectors. There not that expensive. I'm a fire safety advisor by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 Thanks for reminding me.My smoke alarm has pipped couple times recently for low battery so i'll get another tommorrow. There arent many things which frighten me,but fire does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deejay Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 A tip for parents with young kids - I hoist my kids up onto my shoulders once a week so they can press the test button - makes sure they work and gets the little 'uns used to the noise should God forbid they ever go off in the night (and not just when I've burnt my latests attempt at cooking). They associate the screech with fire. A false alarm may give them a bit of a shock but it's better than the alternative. Same here ,my little one gets up on shoulders and presses it on our way down the stairs .He loves to try and keep it pressed just long enough to hear the beeps and shouts BEEP BEEP when he manages to do it . Regards Darren. Thanks for the advice though always good to be safe . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartB Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 (edited) If you have a relative in an old peoples home, check to see if the alarms are battery operated and if so, if there are batteries in them that work. I once tested a group of these in a home and found that a radio collector in the home had 'borrowed' all the batteries to power the things. It is not unusual for batteries to be borrowed by family members or resident when something stops working. To be fair, most homes have mains powered alarms these days. At the other extreme, if you have a student son/daughter in digs, worth checking that alarms are fitted corectly and working. I had to buy alarms for one place my son stayed at, as the landlord was completely useless. I have my house hard wired with alarms now. Just as well given the reloading gear on site :blink: Edited January 4, 2011 by MartB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davie mac Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 Theres good advice here if you have look through it http://www.nifrs.org/fire_safety.php?sec=1189 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
border Scott Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 There is no excuse for not having a working smoke alarm these days. As a firefighter i spend a lot of my time fitting alarms and carrying out informal home visits. Its a free service and we can pass on tips and give advice on how to get your house safe and if the worst happens how to save your family. I know a lot of people say we are lazy and all the rest of it but we will be there straight away to make you feel safe. It only takes a few minutes. Ive seen first hand families destroyed and loved ones lying in the front garden dead for the sake of a couple of quid. Just contact your local fire and rescue service and they will see you right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 (edited) I agree with the above. As for below...... If you have a relative in an old peoples home, check to see if the alarms are battery operated and if so, if there are batteries in them that work. I once tested a group of these in a home and found that a radio collector in the home had 'borrowed' all the batteries to power the things. It is not unusual for batteries to be borrowed by family members or resident when something stops working. To be fair, most homes have mains powered alarms these days. No they HAVE TO BE mains operated battery back up detectors At the other extreme, if you have a student son/daughter in digs, worth checking that alarms are fitted corectly and working(Nope that is a requirement for the landlord). I had to buy alarms for one place my son stayed at, as the landlord was completely useless. I have my house hard wired with alarms now. Just as well given the reloading gear on site :blink: If you need advice or an alarm/battery just phone your local Fire and rescue service 24/7/365. Edited January 4, 2011 by henry d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throbbingfinger Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 The UK site is http://www.communities.gov.uk/fire/ As Henry D states above, the situations above would most likely require a hard wired fire alarm system which is zoned to identify where a fire has occured. If they are a decent place they will also have done a fire risk assessment, which you could ask to see. If they havent done one ask them why? For businessess you can call the fire brigade to inspect or a private fire safety consultancy but make sure they arent trying to flog you things off the back of their reccomendations and ask them to justify them. If using the private companies make sure they're accredited as there are alot of pillocks out there claiming they know everything with no formal qualifications. Stay safe people!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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