Smoke Detectors

Smoke alarms detect smoke at the earliest stages of a fire, giving you vital extra time to escape. Ensuring you have a working smoke alarm fitted is an important precaution to protect your home and family from fire.

Fit alarms on every level of your home – remember to test the batteries every week and never remove the batteries. Also remember not to put alarms in kitchens or bathrooms where smoke and steam could accidentally set them off.

You are more than twice as likely to die in a fire at home if you haven't got a smoke alarm. A smoke alarm is the easiest way to alert you to the danger of fire, giving you precious time to escape. They are cheap, easy to get hold of and easy to fit.
How many do you need?

The more alarms you have, the safer you'll be. At minimum you should have one on each floor. However, if you have only one alarm and two floors, put it somewhere you’ll be able to hear it when you're asleep.
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.
Choosing a smoke alarm
There are two types of smoke alarm:

Ionisation Alarms
These are the cheapest and most readily available – they are very sensitive to flaming fires (ones that burn fiercely such as chip-pan fires) and they will detect this type of fire before smoke gets too thick

Optical alarms
These are more expensive and more effective at detecting slow-burning fires (such as smouldering foam-filled furniture or overheated wiring); they are less likely to go off accidentally and so are best for ground-floor hallways and for homes on one level
For the best protection, you should install one of each. However, if you can’t have both, it’s still safer to have either one, rather than none at all.