Most domestic fires occur during the night … so what happens if you are Deaf or hard of hearing

West Sussex County Council Fire and Rescue Service is working in close liaison with Deaf awareness organisations to:

• Tackle the problems encountered by people with hearing difficulties.
• Raise awareness of the special facilities available to them.

In the lead up to Deaf Awareness Week (May 2-8) , Community Fire Safety Officer Roger Wood said: "We want to remind everyone of the importance of having a working smoke alarm in their home, particularly people who are Deaf or hard of hearing.

"This is particularly important for Deaf people living in rented accommodation. Although the landlord may have installed smoke alarms they may not be aware of your particular circumstances and it is essential that you have a smoke alarm which meets your individual needs.

"People with hearing difficulties need special alarms to make them aware the alarm has been activated. Alarms can be fitted with vibrating pads and/or flashing strobe light.

"The pad should be placed under your mattress or pillow to wake you up at night if there is a fire. When smoke is detected, the alarm will sound and set off the light and pad. This will wake you up instantly."

The importance of having suitable alarms fitted was highlighted at a fire in Worthing recently, when a young boy rescued a 99-year-old man who is hard of hearing.

"Had it not been for the nine-year-old's quick actions, the man would almost certainly have sustained serious injuries or worse," said Roger Wood.

Brian Grover , Head of Technology and Research at the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, said: "We thank West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service for raising important fire safety messages for people with hearing loss.

"We encourage Deaf and hard of hearing people to ensure they are adequately protected."

Further information on smoke alarms for people who are hard of hearing is available on the RNID website www.rnid.org.uk