Published 21 January 2022
West Dunbartonshire residents are urged to make sure their home is fire safe ahead of new laws coming into force at the end of this month.
From February 1st every home in Scotland must have interlinked fire alarms, meaning that if one goes off they are all triggered so that you will always hear an alarm wherever you are in your home.
The new law was created in response to the Grenfell Tower fire in London in 2017, motivated by a desire to prevent such a tragedy occurring again.
It is the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure they meet the new safety standard – and failure to install the interlinked alarm system could invalidate their home insurance policy.
It is estimated that the cost for an average three-bedroom house will be around £220, which must be met by homeowners or private landlords.
However, financial help is available to older and disabled homeowners on low incomes, who can contact their local Care & Repair service which gives independent advice and help. For assistance contact Lomond And Clyde Care & Repair on 01389 734188 or visit www.care-repair.co.uk
To protect the most vulnerable, the Scottish Fire and Rescue service will also fit interlinked alarms into homes where the individual/household is assessed as high risk through a home visit assessment process.
If you believe that someone you know may be eligible for support you can request a Home Fire Safety Visit by contacting SFRS on 0800 0731999 or text “FIRE” to 80800
West Dunbartonshire Council Leader, Councillor Jonathan McColl said: “Protecting lives is at the heart of these new regulations.
“So while I appreciate that installing interlinked alarms imposes an additional financial burden for many households, it’s important to remember their purpose – to keep you and your loved ones safe – is priceless.
“Indeed, the potential cost of not making your home compliant would far outweigh this one-off investment if your home insurance becomes invalid.
“Therefore, I would urge every homeowner in West Dunbartonshire to buy and install these alarms before February 1 to protect themselves, their family and their home.”
By February 2022 every home must have:
- one smoke alarm in the living room or the room you use most
- one smoke alarm in every hallway or landing
- one heat alarm in the kitchen
All smoke and heat alarms should be mounted on the ceiling and be interlinked.
Additionally, if you have a carbon-fuelled appliance – such as a boiler, fire, heater or flue – in any room, you must also have a carbon monoxide detector in that room. But this does not need to be linked to the fire alarms.
Further information about the new requirements can be found at https://www.gov.scot/publications/fire-and-smoke-alarms-in-scottish-homes/