fire safety

Below is some general fire safety advice for your home. Please visit West Midlands Fire Service website (opens in new window) for more information about keeping safe in your home and to arrange to free home fire safety check.

General advice

  • Keep lamps away from drapes, curtains, furniture and other flammable objects.
  • Never leave lit candles unattended.
  • Take care in the kitchen. Accidents while cooking account for 59% of fires in the home.
  • Ensure cigarettes are stubbed out and disposed of carefully and never smoke in bed.
  • Make a fire action plan so that everyone in your house knows how to escape in the event of fire.
  • Fit a smoke alarm and check it regularly.

About smoke detectors

If the alarm goes off:

  • take your family to where it is easy to escape in case there is a fire
  • check all rooms for signs of smoke
  • feel around each door before opening it. If there is any sign of heat, smoke or noise, do not open the door.

If a fire has broken out:

  • do not attempt to tackle it yourself. Smoke and Fumes can kill in minutes
  • get everyone out of the house and call the Fire Service (999)
  • do not go back for any reason.

If there is no sign of smoke or fire:

  •  the battery may need replacing.

A smoke detector may operate in error if:

  • a heater or clothes drier is too near it
  • someone smokes a cigarette or pipe near it
  • an aerosol spray is used to near it
  • there are excessive cooking fumes or steam, eg: roasting meat, burnt toast, etc
  • there are strong draughts from nearby doors and windows.

Changing the battery:

  • buy a new 9 volt battery
  • open the detector by gently prising off the cover
  • unclip the battery from its connections and retaining clips
  • clip the battery firmly in place. Ensure it is put in the same way as the one removed ie +and- signs on the detector
  • close the detector and test it using the test button. 

To test your alarm:

  • press and hold the test button for a few seconds. The alarm should sound
    if the alarm sounds, try cleaning it and test again
  • if the alarm still does not sound after cleaning, replace the battery. If it still doesn't work you will need to replace the whole detector.