It is common knowledge that you are 50% more likely to die in a fire at home if you do not have a working smoke alarm. A working smoke alarm will provide you with early warning of a fire and give you more time to get out to safety.
Although all homes should have a minimum of one, I would recommended that you have a heat detector in or near the kitchen with a smoke detector on each landing. Individual homes may benefit from even more smoke alarms.
Best practice is to use mains-operated smoke alarms with integral battery back-up that are interlinked to provide early warning throughout the home. A good alternative is to have wireless smoke alarms that link to each other via radio signals.
Whatever you do….test all smoke alarms regularly and change the batteries at least once a year.
If you do have a fire….remember not to panic and make sure everyone in the household knows the quickest/safest route out to safety. In some cases it may be useful to have an escape ladder available.
In any event….happy new year and…..keep safe.
