Today marks the start of National Fire Safety Week 2022 and this year's theme focuses on 'working smoke alarms saves lives and test them weekly'. Siobhan McKenna, Senior Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Monaghan Fire & Civil Protection, says that statistically, people are more likely to die in a fire if they do not have a working smoke alarm.
On average 39 people die each year in fires across Ireland, 82% of those fires that result in fatalities had no working smoke alarm. Ms McKenna says smoke alarms are designed to provide early warning signs of a fire; therefore it is necessary to have at least one alarm at every level in the home.
She added that alarms needed to be tested once a week and batteries changed annually. "The smoke produced in a fire won't necessarily wake you up. It's more likely to put you into a deeper sleep. So you need a working smoke alarm to wake you up in that instance.
"We are always trying to get the STOP fire message out there; the S is for a working smoke alarm in the home; the T is for testing the smoke alarm; O is for the obvious dangers of fire and to be aware of them in the home; and P is for planning your escape route because getting out safely from a fire is a lot easier if there is a plan in place," Ms McKenna said.
