HALF of the lives lost in Ulster house fires over the past five years could have been saved by working smoke alarms, the assistant chief fire officer said yesterday.
Peter Craig revealed that almost all homes in the Province are fitted with the devices, but warned many would be useless in an emergency because they were not properly maintained.
His call for homeowners to test the detectors is the key message of
the North-South Fire Safety Week which starts today.
The launch comes just two days after a 73-year-old woman died in hospital following a house fire in Ballymoney.
Mr Craig said it was crucial people tested their smoke alarms once a week and spent time planning their escape if their house caught fire.
He said: "At the moment, almost 98 per cent of homes in Northern Ireland have a smoke alarm but they are useless if they go untested.
"In 50 per cent of the fire deaths in dwellings in Northern Ireland in the last five years a smoke alarm has been present, but tragically they have not activated when needed.
"The key life-saving theme of this year's Fire Safety Week is that it is vital to have a working smoke alarm fitted in the home and that it should be tested every week."
Mr Craig added that trying out the alarms was even more important as the economic crisis continues to rage.
He said: "More families are expected to turn to wood and coal fires this winter because they are aware of rising electric and gas prices, so having adequate fire safety measures will be more important than ever.
"You wouldn't drive a car without regularly testing the brakes, so people should never go to bed without knowing their alarm is working."
Mr Craig admitted domestic fire deaths have fallen in Northern Ireland in the past decade, but said more needed to be done.
"The overall decrease in fire deaths at home is to be welcomed, but any fire death is a tragedy.
"In many cases it is a tragedy that could have been avoided if a smoke alarm had been working properly."
The cross-border fire safety drive is being run by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and the Environment Department in Dublin.
It is the seventh year the agencies have run a joint campaign and they say the aim is to raise awareness in all communities that fire safety is crucial.
A new TV and radio advertising campaign under the slogan "Smoke Kills" will be aired for the first time at the launch.
In Northern Ireland, graphic ads featuring young people and the message "You forgot the battery mummy" will be shown.
The full article contains 457 words and appears in News Letter newspaper.
