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Vulnerable Persons Officers Delyth Humphreys, left, and Alison Teece carry out a fire safety visit to highlight the importance of working smoke alarms. |
Smoke alarms are a vital piece of equipment and no home should be without this vital protection.
A smoke alarm will dramatically reduce the chance of you or your family being killed or injured in a house fire. There are many types of smoke alarms available on the market today, however it is important to note that regardless of their appearance they have a very important job to do and that is to give early warning in the event of a fire.
Smoke alarms are widely available from a range of outlets from specialist electrical wholesalers to general DIY stores and more recently in supermarket stores. The alarms are very reasonably priced, from the very basic models starting at just £4.
Below is information about the type of alarms supplied by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service supplies and fits Ionisation and Optical smoke alarms as part of their Home Fire Safety Risk Assessment.
These smoke alarms are supplied free of charge. SFRS recommend the installation of one smoke alarm per level within the property as a bear minimum. It is strongly advised that the smoke alarms are installed in the circulation areas mainly in the hallway and landing.
| Ionisation Smoke Alarm |
Optical Smoke Alarm |
| Quick repose to fast flaming fires |
Quick repose to Smouldering fires |
| 10 year lithium battery |
10 year lithium battery |
| Hush facility – self resetting |
Hush facility – self resetting |
| Easy to test once a week |
Easy to test once a week |
| Reliable |
Reliable |
| Ionisation - a complicated looking name - but really just a smoke alarm which reacts best to a fast-flaming fire, such as an oil/fat fire from the kitchen. It is a bit less sensitive to a smouldering fire where more smoke is given off before flames occur. |
This type of smoke alarm reacts best to smouldering fires, where a lot of smoke is produced, such as soft furnishings and PVC wiring insulation. They are a bit less sensitive to the flaming fire, such as oil/fat fire from the kitchen. They are also a bit more expensive but are becoming more widely available at DIY stores.
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- The fire angel is an ionisation smoke alarm, fitted to a Standard bayonet light-fitting
- The alarm is self re-charging and is easy to test from the light switch
| Smoke alarms for Hearing Impaired |
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A smoke alarm for a hearing impaired person consists of one ionisation and one optical smoke alarm, the main unit, a strobe warning light and a vibrating pad.
The vibrating pad is placed under the pillow and will wake a householder if asleep and the flashing light will act as a visual alarm.
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Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service work with our partners at Shropshire County Council and the Telford & Wrekin Council sensory impairment teams to risk assess the supply of these alarms throughout the county.
Contact our Vulnerable Persons Officers for more information on 01743 260 200
Further information
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