Fire Alarms for Disabled People

Savvy_Sue

Ames wrote: »

Does anyone know if you can have them installed lower down, say on the walls? I really struggle to lift my arms up to stop them when they're on the ceiling.

If they're frequently going off, they might be in the wrong places. In our last house, DH didn't read the instructions (!) and put one far too close to the kitchen, so it was always being triggered.

As for the backup batteries, presumably those batteries are designed to last longer than the fully battery powered ones do.

Ames

They weren't in the wrong place, one was in the bedroom and one was in the hallway. The one nearest the kitchen works fine!

allydowd

I started this thread and by coincidence there was a serious fire in our tenement block last night. Luckily our flat was unaffected but one family have lost their home and are lucky to be alive. If anyone is hesitating about getting smoke alarms and fire safety advice please consider fact which the fire officer told me as we were evacuating:

When you are fully asleep your nose cannot smell smoke...you need to hear/feel the smoke alarm to be sure you don't die of smoke inhilation in your sleep.

altocumulus

septemberblues wrote: »

I had this check on Monday, handsome young fireman! He installed two fire alarms, used glue to stick them on the ceiling, and said they last for 10 years. He also said they don't suggest escaping from an upstairs window anymore, but if you can't escape to close the door, put something along the bottom to stop smoke getting to you and opening the window and shouting "Fire" really loudly(and often!) - as people tend to ignore screams etc, thinking it was people playing about.

Very useful advice when your nearest neighbour is 1/2 mile away ... :rotfl::rotfl:

nanokitten

If you have problems reaching a fire alarm you can get types with a big hush button (so you can poke it with a broom stick).

If it beeps it probably needs servicing I bet the fire brigade would change your battery each year if you asked.

If it beeps when you cook you can move it away from the kitcjen door or better still get ones which detect heat or optical sensors which tend to go off less accidentlly.
Its often worth getting interlinked ones if you can.

Maybe we could make a list of sources of help for these things, we already know the fire brigade will help, you might get a disabled facilities grant for more accessible ones, help the aged, some energy companies sometimes have alarms or caron monoxide detectors available.

If yoy live in rented accomodation (private sector), your landlaord may sort this out as the fire regualtions have have changed and they may be happy to upgrade sooner rather than later.
If you live in housing association / council they may have a kitty for disabled adaptions.

bored_at_home

this service is brilliant and is available to absolutely anyone.
i had 2 very sexy friendly firemen came round and fitted me 3 smoke alarms and discuss exit routes etc with me.

i only officially needed 2 for my bungalow, but as one of my symptoms of my disability is im unwakeable by noise they put an extra one above my bed.
i got my mate to set it off at 3am and i carried on snoring, but that isnt their fault lol.

lolababy

Just to say the firemen that I had install my alarms were past their sell by date lol. Was really looking forward to a nice hunk and my mate came around just to ogle. We had to drown our sorrows in a nice bottle of wine .

Savvy_Sue

bored_at_home wrote: »

i only officially needed 2 for my bungalow, but as one of my symptoms of my disability is im unwakeable by noise they put an extra one above my bed.
i got my mate to set it off at 3am and i carried on snoring, but that isnt their fault lol.

I am surprised they did not therefore offer you a vibrating smoke alarm. Might be worth a call to see if you could have one. They would have given me one but my hearing loss is so mild, I usually wake before anyone else at unusual noises!

TaBunny

That's it I'm going to try and rip off my current smoke alarms and bin them I am drooling at the thought of firemen lol

Savvy_Sue

You don't have to rip your old ones off, they will check any you already have and fit new ones if the old ones are no good.

But be warned you may not get fit young men, there was a woman in the gaggle who came to inspect mine.