Fire safety week kicks off in Templemore

John O’Meara and his crew in the Fire Service will be stationed in various parts of the town this week looking for names and contact numbers for people who wish to get smoke alarms installed in their house.
The team will fit 2 smoke alarms for whoever needs them. The alarms now come with a ten year battery and are given and fitted free of charge.

Deaths from fires have doubled since 2016, rising from 20 to 41 in 2017, according to the latest figures from the Department of Housing. The figures also show that people over the age of 65 made up the majority of victims, with 24 deaths reported last year.
The ‘Fatalities for Fire’ report issued shows that of the fatalities attended by Fire Brigades last year, there was no smoke detector located in over half of the homes.
Tips for the cold winter weather approaching:
-  Install smoke alarms.
-  Make sure you test the battery in your smoke detectors once a week (Test it Tuesday).
-  Get your chimney cleaned.
-  Plan your escape.
-  Discuss your escape route with children and practice it at least twice a year.
-  Avoid the obvious dangers such as leaving candles unattended, and overloading plug sockets.
-  Always use a spark guard when leaving a room with an open fire.
If in doubt: get out; stay out; and get the Fire Brigade out.