Sir Terry Wogan,
Amir Khan and 'Corrie sisters' amongst celebs
that pledge to promote fire safety.
Celebrities from across the music, showbiz and sporting worlds
are backing the Government’s Fire Kills campaign with a
"Push It Pledge", to urge people to test their
smoke alarm every week.
Coronation Street on-screen sisters, Helen Flanagan and Brooke
Vincent (aka Rosie and Sophie Webster), along with a host of other
famous faces - including Amir Khan, Ainsley Harriet, Jill
Halfpenny, Sir Terry Wogan, Darren Campbell, James Martin, Dave
Spikey, Nihal and Bobby Friction - are all making a pledge to test
their smoke alarm every week. This is a vital step in helping the
nation to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by
accidental house fires.
Eighty five per cent of people own a smoke alarm, 1 but
worryingly less than a third test them every week.2 This is
despite the fact that you are more than twice as likely to die in
an accidental house fire if you don’t have a working smoke alarm.1
Just two to three breaths of toxic smoke can render you
unconscious, your lungs fill up and you can’t breathe, just like
drowning. It’s imperative that a smoke alarm is not only installed
in your home, but that it actually works.
Helen Flanagan, who is supporting the campaign, said:
"At home, we’ve been guilty of not testing our smoke
alarms as regularly as we should, but this campaign has made me
realise how important it is to take just a few seconds every week
to push the button and ensure our alarms are working. It’s scary
how quickly a house fire can spread and in so many cases, it’s the
smoke alarm that can make the difference between someone being
able to escape in time, or not. We will be testing our smoke
alarms every week from now on."
1The English House Condition Survey 2007
2 Fire Kills Survey conducted via Opinion Matters
on behalf of the Fire Kills campaign amongst a nationally
representative sample of 2433 UK Adults
Sir Terry Wogan, who suffered a house fire himself, says:
"I had a fire at home last year, and can vouch to the
excellence of our local fire and rescue service, but if it
hadn't been for the smoke alarm, even they might have
been too late to help, and the consequences could have been fatal
for me and my family. I’ll make sure that my smoke alarm is tested weekly."
Nihal from the BBC Asian Network, says: "I pledge to be
fire safe – test my smoke alarm weekly and plan an escape route
for my family - should the worst happen I want to be prepared!"
Sir Ken Knight, the Government’s Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser
says: "A smoke alarm can buy valuable time to escape from
a fire, but only if it’s working properly. It’s not enough to just
install smoke alarms in your home – you must test them every week.
The main reason that smoke alarms fail to activate is missing or
flat batteries - if the battery needs replacing, do this immediately."
Installing a smoke alarm only takes a few minutes - just follow
the manufacturer's instructions that come with it. The
best place is on the ceiling, near or in the middle of the room or
hall. The alarm should be at least 30cm (12inches) away from a
wall or light.
The more alarms you have, the safer you'll be; Sir Ken
Knight recommends you have one on each floor of your home to
ensure the earliest detection of a fire.
If you have a TV or other large electrical appliance (such as a
computer) in any of the bedrooms, you should fit a smoke alarm
there too, but do not fit one in a kitchen or bathroom where smoke
or steam may set them off accidentally.
Maintaining your smoke alarm
To keep your smoke alarm in good working order, you should:
* Test it once a week, by pressing the test button until the
alarm sounds
* Change the battery once a year (unless it’s a
ten-year alarm or a mains-connected alarm)
* Replace the
whole unit every ten years
Celebrities, who have pledged their support for the campaign and
committed to testing their own smoke alarms every week, include:
- Broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan
- World Champion Boxer Amir
Khan
- TV actress Jill Halfpenny
- Comedian and actor
Dave Spikey
- Celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott
- Olympic
Gold medallist Darren Campbell
- BBC Asian Network presenter,
and DJ Nihal
- Journalist Nicholas Owen
- TV actress
Debra Stevenson
- Celebrity chef James Martin
- Asian Film
Director Gurinder Chada
- TV presenter and former star of The
Apprentice Kate Walsh
- Star of 'How clean is your
house?' Aggie McKenzie
- BBC Asian Network presenter
Bobby Friction
- Television presenter Lizzie Cundy
-
Comedian Barry Cryer
- Former star of Shipwrecked Adam
Child
- Television celebrity Ingrid Tarrant
To pledge to test your smoke alarm every week and to see which
celebrities will be "Pushing the Button" visit
www.direct.gov.uk/firekills/pledge
To view the picture that accompany's this
release, please follow the link below:
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/ImageLibrary/detail.aspx?MediaDetailsID=1547
-Ends-
Notes to editors:
The Fire Kills campaign is the national fire safety campaign
delivered by Communities and Local Government. The campaign aims
to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by accidental
dwelling fires by actively encouraging people to change their
behaviour and attitudes towards fire safety.
The celebrities who have pledged to support this initiative have
done so in their own time and free of charge.
Case Study (including photos) available for
interview – summary below
Tina, 24 lives in Derby with her husband and three children
A house fire destroyed Tina’s family home. In December 2008 Tina
was woken at 3:15 am by her smoke alarm. Her husband was working a
night shift so she went downstairs to check and when she opened
her lounge door she was greeted with huge flames. She called 999
and was advised to get herself and her children out straight away.
Tina managed to get her children out of the back door to safety.
Tina and her family lost all of their belongings and had to spend
seven months in temporary accommodation, before retuning to their home.
It is unclear whether it was an overloaded power socket or a tea
light that started the fire but what is certain is that the smoke
alarm saved the lives of Tina and her family.
Information Sources:
Communities and Local Government Fire Statistics 2007
Fire Kills Survey conducted via Opinion Matters on behalf of the
Fire Kills campaign amongst a nationally representative sample of
2433 UK Adult
Contacts:
NDS Enquiries
Phone: For enquiries please contact the above department
ndsenquiries@coi.gsi.gov.uk