AICO calls for action

Increase in fire deaths in the home prompts concern.

Aico , Britain's leading supplier of smoke alarms in the home, has called for more action to be taken by both landlords and homeowners following a rise in fire deaths revealed in the latest government statistics.

More people died in fires in the UK in 2003 than in the previous year - a worrying development revealed in Fire Statistics, United Kingdom 2003 published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

In total, there were 593 fire-related deaths in 2003 - an increase of 6% on the figure of 562 for 2002; of those fatalities, around three quarters occurred in the home.

In 2003, 447 people died in house fires, compared with 430 in 2002.

"These figures are cause for very real concern," says Neil Perdell, Technical Services Manager of Aico .

"The message is still not getting through to some people that smoke alarms save lives.

But making more people aware of smoke alarms is not the complete solution.

Homes need better protection to bring the death toll down still further.

Aico also expresses concern that two alarms in a typical two storey household might not be adequate.

"People fit two alarms - usually hallway and landing - and think they're fully protected; they're probably not," says Neil.

"If a fire breaks out in a living room, it may be a while before a smoke alarm in the hallway detects the smoke and sounds the alarm.

Even then, there's no guarantee that the alarm will be heard by someone upstairs, fast asleep, with the bedroom door is closed.

In a fire, every second counts in making a successful escape - so the earlier the warning the better.

Aico says that, in order to prevent fire deaths in the home rising still further, both homeowners and landlords need to start taking more positive action.

In particular, Aico recommends that landlords only trust mains-powered smoke alarms (because battery units can be easily disabled by tenants or removed) and that at least one alarm is fitted per floor, with additional alarms installed in the kitchen and living room - the source of most fatal fires.

It's vital that all alarms should be interconnected so that if one detects smoke, every alarm in the property will sound - giving the earliest possible warning.

"Also, many landlords have shied away from interconnecting smoke alarms because of the cost of the installation work and the disruption to the property," Neil Perdell points out.

"Now, however, Aico has introduced mains-powered alarms that interconnect by radio signals, making interconnection far quicker and more convenient.

"Landlords can lead the way in halting - and reversing - the present increase in domestic fire deaths and injuries, by fitting quality mains-powered alarms with a reliable back-up supply and always interconnecting them.

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