[Mick]

I sent an e-mail to the fire service for some details for smoke alarms for "life" to have a read at
this is the response.

As the local Station Manager for both Hyndburn and Great Harwood Fire Stations, I forward the following in response:

"Smoke alarms save lives and that's a fact, so I feel it's essential to contradict "LIFE" to make sure that people aren't put off having smoke detectors in their home ..." (Followed by)

the radioactive source in an ionising smoke detector is sealed and would not give off dangerous levels of radiation even if it wasn't
about 500 such detectors in a home might just register a blip on a geiger counter
'background' radiation in our environment from natural sources is greater and neither is that dangerous
LFRS has been fitting optical (non-ionising type) smoke detectors on Home Fire Safety Check Visits for some time now, simply because they detect smaller amounts of smoke than ionising types of alarms can so react more quickly to smouldering fires
... or put another way:-

with a smoke detector you're not at risk of injury from radiation
without a smoke detector, you're destroying any chance of the early warning you need to escape from a fire in your home


Thanks Gary

Gary Monk
Service Delivery Manager
Hyndburn Community Fire Station
Hyndburn Road
Church