Fire Safety is important to us and statistics tell us that three quarters of all fire deaths happen at home. Older people and children are most at risk.

Smoke detectors act as your first warning in the event of a fire.

All our properties are fitted with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and we check these annually during your heating service. These detectors are fitted with a lithium battery that has an life span of 10 years. It is your responsibility to test these in between and ensure that these detectors are working properly.          

If your home has a “test switch” please use this to check your detectors. Contact our repairs team if you think your smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector is not working correctly.

Escape routes should be planned even if you never have to use them. Make your children and other dependents aware of what to do in an emergency.

You can help to reduce the risk of a fire in your property by;

• If you have communal areas do not clutter up stairwells, landings and corridors, especially with items that may easily catch fire.
• Making sure that all equipment and appliances are in good working order and serviced regularly.
• Unplug electrical appliances that are not being used, and do not leave on ‘stand-by’ for long periods.
• Use a multi socket adaptor when needed.
• Do not leave pans of fat or oil unattended whilst cooking,
• Store matches and lighters safely and out of reach of children.
• The use of Liquid Petroleum Gas or paraffin heaters is not recommended in flats or maisonettes. These appliances are easily knocked over and can cause a fire.
• Do not prop doors open, especially self-closing fire doors, and close all doors before going out or going to bed
• Ensure cigarettes are fully extinguished and don’t smoke in bed.
• Never leave children alone in the house, and encourage all your family and visitors to be aware of safety.
• Park sensibly and keep access roads clear for emergency services at all times.

What to do if your smoke detector goes off during the day;

Check for any of the reasons given below and then follow these simple steps.

There’s a fire in your home!  Be careful not to assume that just because you don’t see or smell a fire, that your smoke detector is giving a false alarm. Smoke detectors often will sense electrical fires or other hidden fires before you do. If none of the other items on this list are present and the alarm continues to sound, assume that there is a fire starting somewhere in the property/building. Don’t ignore it.

Burning food on the cooker. If you’re not paying close enough attention to the dinner you have cooking, and it begins to burn, it may set off your smoke detector.

Fireplace smoke. If your chimney is clean and dampers are properly set, this shouldn’t be a problem. But, occasionally, people do have trouble with a fireplace sending smoke into their home and their smoke alarms will go off.

Humidity. High humidity in the air can set off smoke alarms. The density of the moisture particles in the air trigger the alarm. The device has no way of distinguishing between light smoke particles and heavy moisture content.

Insects. Small insects can crawl into the smoke detector itself and set off the alarm. If you can identify any external cause for an alarm to be sounding, you may want to open up the device and check for six legged critters.

Burnt toast. Ever have your toaster keep your bread down a little too long and turn it into charcoal? This will send some very heavy particles into the air, and your smoke detector will generally pick up on them pretty fast.

Low batteries. If your smoke detector is making little chirping noises instead of a full born alarm, then it may be trying to tell you that its batteries are running low. If one of them is beeping, please contact our repairs team.

Chemical odours. Strong chemical odours like ammonia or paint fumes can set off a smoke detector.

Dust. If you’re doing some DIY and your smoke detector is located in an area that has a lot of dust in the air for any reason, this can set off your smoke detectors.

Steam. Just like humidity, steam from a shower or water boiling can set off those smoke detectors as well.

What to do if your smoke detector goes off during the night and you live in a house or a bungalow

• Raise the alarm, call 999, get everyone out and never attempt to tackle the fire yourself.
• Close all windows and doors behind you.
• Crawl on the floor if there is smoke. The air is cleaner near the floor, so put your nose as low as possible.
• Don’t stop to pick up valuables or animals

What to do if your smoke detector goes off during the night and you live in a flat

• Raise the alarm, call 999, if the fire is in your flat get everyone out and never attempt to tackle the fire yourself.
• If the fire is in another flat or communal area “stay put” unless you consider it is safe to leave the building.
• if you do leave your home close all windows and doors behind you.
• Crawl on the floor if there is smoke. The air is cleaner near the floor, so put your nose as low as possible.
• Don’t stop to pick up valuables or animals
• If you are not able to escape, close all the doors within your home and put a sheet or towel along the bottom of the door to prevent smoke coming into the room.

What to do if your smoke detector goes off and you live in Sheldon Court or Greenfield’s Court.

If the fire is in your home.

Raise the alarm, call 999, get everyone out and never attempt to tackle the fire yourself.

• Close all windows and doors behind you.
• Crawl on the floor if there is smoke. The air is cleaner near the floor, so put your nose as low as possible.
• Don’t stop to pick up valuables or animals.

If the fire is not in your home.

• Raise the alarm, call 999.
• The current advice from Shropshire Fire and Rescue is that if the fire is not in your flat you should “stay put”.
• Make sure that your front door (which is a fire door) and your windows are closed.

Electric scooters can undoubtedly improve your quality of life. However, if you live in a flat, storing and recharging buggies and scooters can be a problem due to a lack of space. Unfortunately, this can have safety implications for other people if you use communal or shared areas to store the buggy or scooter. When parked in corridors and stairwells, buggies and scooters can restrict the width of the means of escape and impede other people vacating the building. Therefore, if you wish to get an electric buggy or scooter, you must request permission from us first.