Smoke Alarms

Did You Know? If you don’t have a working smoke alarm at home, you’re twice as likely to get hurt in a fire.

A smoke alarm is a device that will detect a fire in the early stages and give warning to ensure that you have vital extra time to escape.

What you can do:

  • Install smoke alarms in your home. Make sure there’s at least a smoke alarm on every level of your home.
  • Test them weekly: Just press the button to check they’re working.
  • Don’t ignore the beep: If it’s beeping, it’s trying to tell you something important—don’t ignore it.
  • Have a fire escape plan so in the event that your alarms go off, you know what to do. 

Why install a smoke alarm?

Each year over 500 deaths and 11,000 injuries occur in fires in the home.

Many of these deaths and injuries could be prevented if people had early warning and were able to get out in time.

Having correctly fitted and operating smoke alarms in you home could help to save your home and the lives of your family from fire.

What type of smoke alarm should you choose?

A mains powered smoke alarm with battery backup is the best type of alarm to choose, but a battery powered smoke alarm (preferably with a long life battery - 5 or 10 year life) is good to achieve basic protection. 

There are several different types of smoke alarm to chose from but make sure that the alarm you choose has the British Standard Kitemark.

Smoke alarms may have other features including:

  • Hush buttons to reduce the sensitivity of the alarm while you are cooking therefore to reduce unwanted false alarms.
  • Linked alarms with this type of alarm all the units in your home are linked so that if one detector activates all the units will sound. This is a good system to use for larger houses or for attic rooms as it gives vital early warning.

Smoke alarms for people with hearing impairment or hearing loss

If you or someone you know suffers from hearing impairment or hearing loss a smoke alarm designed for those with sensory loss could help keep you/them safe. Please call your local council social care team on one of the below numbers.

  • For Durham County Council: 03000 267 979
  • Darlington Borough Council: 01325 406 111

For more information on smoke alarm systems for the deaf and hard of hearing please contact the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) on (0808) 8080123 or visit their website. 

How many smoke alarms should you have?

For an ideal situation you should have one alarm in each room of you house (except the kitchen and bathroom). A minimum standard is one smoke alarm for each floor of your home fitted in your stairwell.

The ideal locations for smoke alarms are at the top of the stairs, on stair landings and between living and sleeping areas.

Looking after smoke alarms

Many people are killed each year because their smoke alarm did not work due to missing or flat batteries.

You should check your alarm within the following time periods:

  • Weekly - Test the Battery. (using the test button provided on the alarm)
  • Monthly – vacuum the alarm to remove dust
  • After 10 years - it is best practice to replace the entire alarm.

If there's a fire in your home;

GET OUT, STAY OUT, CALL 999