Fire chiefs urge deaf people in Brighton and Hove to fit smoke alarms

Fire chiefs are urging deaf people in Brighton and Hove and those who are hard of hearing to fit specialist smoke alarms.

They made the pleas to coincide with Deaf Awareness Week which started on Monday 7 May and runs until Sunday (13 May).

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said that an estimated million British adults could not hear an ordinary smoke alarm because of hearing difficulties or removal of their hearing aid at night.

The fire service said that it was important to fit and test appropriate smoke alarms to alert people who suffer from hearing loss to a fire in their home.

A range of alarms had been designed specifically for the hard of hearing, it said. Features included strobe lighting, vibrating alarms and small wearable radio linked pagers.

These specialist alarms could save lives, the fire service said, by alerting residents to a fire in their home even if they had removed their hearing aid at night.

Steve Wright, community safety team manager, said: “It is vital that people who are deaf or hard of hearing ensure they have the right smoke alarm technology in their home to protect them – and that they test it weekly to make sure that it works correctly.

“Many people with hearing loss could be at serious risk if they don’t have the right alarm in place.

“A specialist alarm system provides valuable time to escape from a house fire. Without it, lives could be lost.”