Fire Alarms Save Lives In Welsh Care Home

Residents and staff in a north Wales care home were evacuated from the establishment after a fire this weekend.

The event emphasises the importance of regularly testing fire alarms: the care home's fully-functional fire detection and alarm system contributed to the safe evacuation.

Three pumps from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service (NWFRS) attended Aston Hall Care Home at around 15.00 on Saturday January 8th after an electrical fault sparked the blaze.

Responsible Persons at all commercial buildings must carry out a fire risk assessment - which will involve calculating what the requisite number of fire alarms is - to comply with Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Geraint Hughes, operations development manager at NWFRS, said there are some simple recommendations that people can follow to cut the chances of a fire like this occurring.

"You can cut the risk of an electrical fire in your home by following some basic advice - [for instance], appliances not designed to be left on should be switched off when not in use or overnight," he said.

from