This in from the council, in their own words. Ed
The focus of this year’s week is to ensure people with hearing problems have sufficient smoke alarms fitted in their homes.
An estimated one million adults in the UK are unable to hear an ordinary smoke alarm because of hearing difficulties or removal of their hearing aid at night.
A whole range of alarms have been designed specifically for the hard of hearing, with features ranging from strobe lighting and vibrating alarms to small wearable radio linked pagers. These specialist alarms can save lives, alerting people to a fire in their home even if they remove their hearing aid at night.
Vital to have the correct alarm
Steve Apter is the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service chief fire officer and said:
“It is vital that people who are deaf or hard of hearing ensure they have the right smoke alarm technology in their home to protect them. They also need to ensure they test them regularly to make sure they work.
“A specialist alarm system provides valuable time to escape from a house blaze. If anyone is unsure about the alarm they need they should contact the fire service or speak to us to arrange a free home fire safety check.”
Home fire safety checks offer people the opportunity to get advice about planning escape routes, positioning alarms and ensuring that the correct, working smoke alarm is fitted in your home.
