Following a national media story about children sleeping through the sound of smoke alarms the London Fire Brigade is stressing the importance of smoke alarms and teaching children about the dangers of fire.
The preliminary research project, by the University of Strathclyde and a fire officer from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue service, saw a total of 204 tests involving the sounding of smoke alarms conducted on 34 children. It found that three out of four children tested slept through the alarm.
London Fire Brigade Group Manager Mark Hazelton said:
“It’s a fact that smoke alarms save lives and we’d hate to think that people would see this study and think that smoke alarms aren’t important. They’re essential as they provide a vital early warning and extra time to escape if there is a fire.
“We’d encourage every parent to teach their children about the risk of fire, what a smoke alarm sounds like and what they should do if there is a fire in their home.”
The Brigade recommends a minimum of one working smoke alarm fitted on every level of your home. It also advises that parents teach their children about the importance of knowing how to escape in a fire, and that if a fire breaks out you should get out, stay out and call 999.
London Fire Brigade sees around 100,000 children in 2000 primary schools across London, every year, giving them life saving fire safety advice. Teaching children at an early age makes them far less likely to a have a fire or become a victim of one. The Brigade informs and educates children to understand the dangers of fire and how to stay safe, and encourage them to share this message with their families. The children are also taught the importance of smoke alarms and what to do if it goes off.
Information on smoke alarms can be found on our website.