Clock change reminder on fire safety (From Dudley News)

Clock change reminder on fire safety

9:00am Saturday 27th October 2012 in News

WEST Midlands Fire Service is reminding people to take a minute to test their smoke alarm when they are putting clocks back tonight.

British Summer Time officially ends in the early hours of Sunday morning when clocks go back by one hour and firefighters say the change can be a good memory jogger for people to ensure their alarm is working.

People in households without a working smoke alarm are four times more likely to die if a fire breaks out and regular testing could save lives.

Jon Waterman, group commander with the West Midlands Fire Service community safety team, said: “With a whole extra hour in bed this weekend, we’re asking people to set aside just a few, life-saving seconds to take the time to test their smoke alarms.

“Amazingly, only half of people with alarms test them regularly. For peace of mind, you really should ‘push the button’ and test your smoke alarms regularly.”

Cops are also using the arrival of darker nights to remind people to think about home security.

Chief inspector Adrian Atherley, from West Midlands Police, said: "With the clocks going back this weekend and many people now returning from work after dark, we are urging our communities to keep home security in mind at all times.

"Traditionally, the onset of darker nights sees a rise in reports of burglary and while we work hard to put burglars behind bars, it is vital that householders also take simple steps to protect their home.

"An inexpensive timer switch for your lights for example, is an extremely effective burglary deterrent as it appears you're at home even when you're not."