Smoke Alarm Sounding

[Marcella]

Hi everyone, I know this is a hot topic (pun intended) but what should I do in the event of a smoke alarm sounding for no apparent reason? Should I take it seriously, evacuate, and call 999? Or should I investigate before jumping to conclusions in the heat of the moment?

I've done the former twice. I still live with my parents so on the first occasion it ended in the Fire Brigade turning up as an emergency response whilst my father was very annoyed with me for "wasting their time". Even my mother was somewhat unimpressed by my decision. On the second occasion they were thankfully both out, so no reaction from my father, but my mother wasn't impressed when I told her about what had happened.

[Messyshaw]

I think there's two issues here. What to do when the alarm sounds and why does it keep going off?

Firstly the point of having a smoke detector in your home is to let you know there is (or may be) a fire in order you can take steps to protect yourself and your family.

Your own plan of what to do depends on your needs and that of your family, the layout of your home and of course, what you discover when the detector sounds.

You mentioned that you called the fire service without telling your parents. Did your parents know the alarm had operated? The first step must always be to let everyone in your home know before doing anything else

It is always a good idea to check to see if there is a fire next. This doesnt need to be flames and billowing smoke. It might be a slight smell of burning or a power cut - anything out of the ordinary 

If there's no fire, you can silence the alarm (a broom handle or long stick can prevent the need for balancing on chairs!!) and carry on with your day. There is no need to call 999 in these circumstances 

But if you are not sure or have any doubts- and after discussing the situation with your parents- the fire service should be called

Why has it gone off twice? Were you or others cooking? Were you asleep? This is something you may wish to investigate futher.

One more thing, the fire service offer a free fire safety check. They may well have offered this to your parents. If not, perhaps urge your parents to request one. Google will help with contact details in your area

Good luck

[Healdav]

My smoke detector is VERY sensitive (and not a special one, I bought it in my local garage). It picks up smoke of any sort from cooking or a hot electric plug (even if just a smell and no smoke).

I would say that it worthwhile checking what is going on before calling the fire service. That need only take seconds, although obviously, if it happens in the middle of the night your reaction should be 999 - unless someone has decided to do some cooking!

Also, my smoke detector goes off when the battery needs to be changed - every couple of years. Of course, until it does go off I have no idea that it needs changing.