Humberside Fire & Rescue Service (HFRS) and Sprue Safety Products were busy jointly spreading essential fire safety messages to the thousands of revellers at this weekend's (July 22) Hull Pride.

Displaying clear fire safety messages, 85 of Humberside's emergency appliances have recently been redesigned with new livery funded by Sprue Safety Products, designer and manufacturer of the award-winning FireAngel range of smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms.

With more than 5000 people attending this year's event, Hull Pride provided an excellent opportunity to reach the community with vital warnings and fire safety advice, including:
· 50000 house fires happen in the UK every year. Test your smoke detector weekly to ensure it is working
· A fire will double in size every 30 seconds. Plan a safe escape route out of your property
· You're more at risk from fire when asleep. Carry out a bedtime check to ensure any fire risks in your property, such as ash trays and open fires, are fully extinguished before you go to bed each night

Sprue Safety Products works closely with fire services across the UK to communicate essential life-saving messages that keep people safe from the risks of fire and carbon monoxide.

Nick Rutter, managing director of Sprue Safety Products, emphasises the importance of such activity: "Between 2010 and 2011 there were 31,000 house fires in the UK, causing 212 deaths1. Many of these incidents occur at night, but a smoke alarm gives you and your family precious life-saving minutes to get to safety. The UK's fire and rescue services play a hugely important role in educating people of the dangers and helping them to stay safe."

In a bid to prevent people becoming the victim of a deliberate fire, Humberside FRS is urging residents to be more vigilant when leaving out wheelie bins for collection. In a recent case, a fire that was started in a wheelie bin spread to the property. Fortunately a smoke alarm alerted the family to the fire and they were able to leave their home safely.

"Our ultimate goal is to have working smoke alarms in every home in the UK to protect as many people as possible from the risks of fire," added Nick.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are widely available from DIY stores and some supermarkets. Homeowners can also contact their local fire brigade to arrange a free home fire safety check. Where appropriate, the fire service will install a new smoke alarm.

Always look for an alarm that meets current British and European safety standards. Smoke alarms should meet BS5466 Part 1 and will carry the well-known kitemark. Carbon monoxide alarms must meet the European Standard BSEN 50291:2001 and feature the CE mark, which should be found on the packaging.

Sprue Safety Products provides some simple advice to ensure your smoke alarm is in sound working order:
· A smoke alarm should be installed on every level within the home in key locations such as the hallway and landing
· The alarm should be tested once a week
· Batteries should be changed every year or consider buying a ten-year alarm which has an internal power pack that will last a decade
· Smoke alarms using Thermoptek™ technology provide the fastest reaction to fires in a single alarm across all fire types and are widely fitted by the UK's Fire & Rescue Services
· Smoke alarms use varying technologies to sense smoke, making them suitable for different locations in the home. To find out which is the best option, visit www.fireangel.co.uk or speak to a sales representative in store

For more information on the smoke and CO alarms available from Sprue Safety Products, visit: www.sprue.com