The new fire safety video has been made to coincide with the release of the new Stephen King horror film 'IT' which arrives in cinemas across Kent and Medway this Friday (September 8).

The point of the video is to tap into the anticipation for the remake of the supernatural horror film, which has already received rave reviews from film critics and fans alike, and to promote important messages around testing smoke alarms weekly and having a well-practiced escape plan for the home in the event of a fire.

For those not familiar with 'IT', the story behind the best-selling book and movie involves a gang of young kids who face their biggest fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise, who carries his trademark red balloon.

The KFRS parody features the spooky red balloon; which represents the fear of a house fire or fire itself. The balloon makes its way into a family home, only to be stopped by a firefighter who reaches up to test the home's smoke alarm. The video urges the audience: "Don't be a clown" and to "Test 'IT' weekly" with further guidance around keeping safe and practicing escape routes.

Head of Community Safety at KFRS, Ian Thomson said: "We're always trying to find new ways to reach different audiences to encourage them to think about safety particularly in the home. By jumping on the back of the excitement of the movies, we hope people will relate to our films and take on board their safety messages.

Ian added: "By using the red balloon to represent fear of fire or fire itself, we are tapping into generating potential behaviour change through the use of emotions and protecting those we love the most - our family, pets and home."

KFRS has done a series of similar parodies ahead of movie releases including Star Wars - The Force Awakens, which went viral and was widely praised.