The majority of homes and businesses now have fire alarm systems installed. Yet, with almost half of all home fires that result in death occurring in homes with a fire alarm present, how important are they really?
Ultimately, a fire alarm is not just about keeping you safe. The right alarm system should also keep your neighbours safe too since the sooner a fire is detected, the sooner it will be dealt with and the less likely it is to spread. Early warning will also mean neighbours will be made aware of any blaze and can both phone emergency services to ensure the fire is likely to be tackled as soon as possible and also evacuate their own property if necessary. This way, even if you are not at home, you have the best chance of a fire being tackled as soon as possible and in turn less damage occuring to your home and possessions.
However, many people may still wonder why so many deaths happen in homes where there are fire alarm systems present. Well, in almost all cases, the alarms will either be old and faulty or the batteries will be dead and the homeowners simply will not have bought new alarms or replaced the batteries. In homes with working alarms, the chance of death from fire is extremely slight indeed.
Many people erroneously think that they will notice a fire immediately and be able to get out of their home or that, even if they are asleep, it will be a simple case of climbing out of a window the moment the fire wakes them up. However, in some cases, smoke can choke people before they even wake up or an entire bottom floor could be ablaze before a sleeper is even roused. In both situations, the chance of escape is extremely slight, especially for entire families.