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80,000 homes do not have working smoke alarms

More than 80,000 homes visited by firefighters in South Yorkshire for safety checks didn't have working smoke alarms, according to new figures.

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80,000 South Yorkshire homes without working smoke alarm

Smoke alarms should be regularly tested Credit: PA

More than 80,000 homes visited by firefighters in South Yorkshire for safety checks didn't have working smoke alarms, according to new figures. Since 2010 the fire service has found over 40,000 homes in the county which had never had smoke alarms fitted.

As well as having a working smoke alarm to protect your home, there are basic safety routines which South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service recommends you follow.

  • Keep doors closed
  • Switch off as many electrical appliances as possible
  • Put out cigarettes and candles safely
  • Keep matches and lighters away from children
  • Check gas appliances and put a spark guard in front of open fires
  • Turn off your electric blanket
  • Keep your keys near to the appropriate doors and windows
  • Keep your staircase tidy and clear
  • Take a mobile phone to bed with you for emergency calls

You can find out how to apply for a free home safety check here.

Thousands of homes without working smoke alarms say South Yorkshire Fire

More than 80,000 South Yorkshire homes visited by firefighters did not have working smoke alarms, shocking new figures reveal.

Thousands of homes without working smoke alarms say South Yorkshire Fire Credit: South Yorkshire Fire

Of all the homes visited by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue since 2010 as part of their home safety check service, over 40,000 had never had smoke alarms fitted before.

A further 42,000 homes had smoke alarms, but they were not working properly, either because the battery was flat or had been removed, or because they had been wrongly installed.

Fire safety officers fear that despite decades of campaigning on the issue of smoke alarms, thousands more families could be missing out on this life saving piece of equipment.

We have been providing free smoke alarms for more than a decade in South Yorkshire, and national campaigns about the importance of smoke alarm ownership and testing have been running since the 1980s. But still it seems there are thousands of people out there who are prepared to put their families’ lives at risk by ignoring this advice. Smoke alarms cannot stop a fire from happening in the first place, but what they do give you is the vital extra moments needed to escape in the event of one breaking out in your home. Smoke alarms cost as little as £5 from a DIY store or supermarket, giving you the reassurance that you’ll get an early warning if the worst does happen.

– Kevin Ronan, head of community safety

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has fitted more than 170,000 free alarms since 2010, plus dozens of specialist alarms for deaf or hard of hearing.

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