South Wales Fire and Rescue Service is urging everyone to make fire safety a priority in 2013 by checking the smoke alarms in their home every week.

At a time of New Year’s resolutions and promises to ‘improve’ lifestyles, Firefighters across South Wales are warning that only working smoke alarms will save lives and so they should be tested once a week.

Batteries are not the only part of the smoke alarm that can fail, they need to be clear of dust and connections need to be intact. By pushing the test button just once residents can find out whether the smoke alarm is in full working order or not.

Chief Fire Officer, Huw Jakeway said, “Why not make it a new year’s resolution to test your smoke alarm once a week? It will give you the piece of mind that you’re protecting you and your family from the very serious danger of a fire in the home.”