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 COMMUNITIES and Local Government has launched a national advertising campaign, Pull Your Finger Out, which encourages people to check their smoke alarms. The move comes as a new survey reveals that four-out-of-five people do not follow advice to test their alarm every week.
Pull Your Finger Out highlights the devastating and potentially fatal consequences of not testing alarms often enough. Running in the UK from 15 January to early March, the TV advert shows the horrific aftermath of a fire in the home, with a burnt out kitchen providing the backdrop to the scene.
A new survey, carried out by TNS for the Fire Kills initiative, supports the need for the campaign. The findings suggest that, even though 80% of homes in England have a smoke alarm installed, the majority of people do not test them regularly enough.
According to the survey, general apathy lies behind the lack of alarm tests. Reasons people gave for not doing tests include: ‘not remembering’ (23%), ‘do not think about it’ (14%), and ‘cannot be bothered’ (7%).
Fire Minister Parmjit Dhanda said: ‘The harsh truth is that, unless a smoke alarm is regularly maintained, it could be rendered useless in the event of a fire. It is not enough to simply own a smoke alarm and hope that loved ones and homes will be protected. Maintaining a smoke alarm takes moments and this simple precaution can save lives’.
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