Smoke alarms save lives. It really is as simple as that. A smoke detector is perhaps the most vital fixture you could have in your home.

Every year, fire brigades are called out to more than 600,000 responsible for in excess of 800 lost lives and 17,000 injuries. Of these figures, around 50,000 fires take place in the home with nearly 500 deaths and 11,000 injuries.

Many of those people directly impacted by the damage that fire causes could have been at a much smaller risk or had a bigger amount of time to avoid injury had there been sufficient and early warning sign.

The warning sign in question is the smoke alarm detector. More and more homes are being equipped with them and for good reason too – the likelihood of death in a house fire in a building without a smoke alarm is quadruple that of smoke detector equipped homes.

The statistics involving house fires are frightening.

• In 2013, 200 lives were lost in house fires
• An estimated 1 in 8 homes has no smoke alarm present
• 2 people aged 65 and over die in house fires each week
• Elderly people living alone without a smoke alarm are twice as likely to perish in a house fire
• If a fire does arise in a home without a smoke detector installed, the chances of surviving are slim to none
• Somebody dies every day from cigarette related house fires

Surely with these horrific numbers, there is something that can be done to help. A smoke alarm can do just that. There are many points regarding smoke alarms to be considered.

• The number of deaths in house fires has been cut in half since the introduction of smoke detectors even without every home having one
• Smoke detectors should be tested weekly to ensure they are in good working order
• Batteries in smoke alarms should regularly be replaced. It is recommended they are changed yearly – even if they appear fine when testing

Smoke alarms give a critical and prompt notice of fire providing a warning that people should escape the home. It is therefore essential that they are installed and working as they should. When testing an alarm, make sure it is safe to do so and you are not putting yourself in danger in positions such as reaching up too high or standing on chairs. A massive 85% of people endanger themselves whilst testing alarms.

There should be at least one alarm on each level of the home and preferably placed in the middle of the ceiling. Fire doesn’t choose where to start and can occur in any room of the home so the more fire detectors that are in place, the safer the home will be. It is desirable that smoke alarms are placed in rooms that are slept in as this is when the human body is most at risk of smoke inhalation.

Installing fire alarms and testing them regularly dramatically increases fire safety. Those extra few seconds gained to evacuate could be the difference between life and death.

Have an escape plan already in place in your household and make sure that everybody knows it and is comfortable with outlined ideas if ever needed.