Fires in the home are responsible for over 75% of all fire-related deaths and injuries in the UK. Statistics show there are well over 50,000 domestic fires in Britain every year, which is nearly 140 a day. Every day 2 people die and 50 are injured in fires in the UK. This underlines the need for protection against fire in homes, especially for the old, young and disabled. To prevent injuries and damages from fire, you can use smoke detectors, a complete fire alarm system, domestic sprinklers and fire extinguishers or a combination of all these precautions.
Smoke alarms are the first lines of defence against fire in the home. They are the easiest way to alert inhabitants of a house to the danger of a fire. In fact, people are twice as likely to die in a fire at home if they have not installed a smoke alarm. These alarms ring loudly when they detect smoke. There are three types of smoke detectors that one can install. Ionisation alarms that are sensitive to free-burning fires with flames - for example, chip pan fires - and detect fires before the smoke becomes thick. These give frequent false alarms when fitted in or near a kitchen. Optical alarms are more effective at detecting slow-burning fires, like overheated electrical wiring. Combined detectors detect slow-burning as well as flaming fires.
For the hearing impaired special devices use a vibrating pad or flashing light instead of the auditory signal - the vibrating pad alarms are particularly useful for deaf-blind people. These detectors can be installed near bedrooms - high on a wall or ceiling but not near air vents. If the house has more than one floor then there should be at least one alarm on each floor. The batteries should be checked and alarms regularly tested to ensure they are in perfect working condition.
A complete home fire alarm system is usually part of a total security system which protects against burglaries in addition to fire protection. These systems consist of a central control panel to which smoke alarms and heat detectors are connected. Connected bells are activated when the system triggers an alarm. They also provide monitoring services by dialing your telephone to report the fire to a security office, from where it is reported to your local police, the fire department and also to medical services. This is a life-saving feature especially for the old, the disabled or children who cannot escape fires without assistance.
Domestic sprinklers are by far the best solution, and offer almost complete safety from fire when installed and maintained properly. They have over a 99% success rate worldwide. It is claimed that, to date, no one has died in a building in which sprinklers have been correctly installed and activated. Sprinklers operate very early in the development of a fire, and therefore use lesser amounts of water in tackling the fire. Sprinklers are very reliable and effective as they not only warn of the fire but also start the process of extinguishing it. The chances of a sprinkler going off accidentally are 1 in 16 million.
Fire extinguishers are also an important equipment to have at home. They can be used to control and minimize damages caused by small fires. This combination of sprinklers and smoke alarms can save most potential victims of home fires. Even so, a proper fire escape plan should be in place. This includes regularly practicing an alternate escape route out of the house in case the normal route becomes impassable. Such precautions not only curtial damage, but also save lives.