Fire Brigade fitting free smoke alarms

[alywin]

Had an unannounced visit from the London Fire Brigade earlier this week, checking whether people had smoke alarms fitted, and offering to fit one free if there wasn't one. Very useful, since it was something we hadn't yet got around to doing. Don't know how many people they'll catch in with a daytime visit, though.

[sophie]

Is it shallow of me to ask if they were in uniform?!!!

[alywin]

Yes, probably . And no, not *that* sort of uniform. And one of them was female, anyway.

And they had ID when I asked for it.

[mosy]

No such callers here although ours were built with them already in (as long as the batteries are kept good of course).

It'd be worth asking if the ones the firemen expect to fit also detect carbon monoxide (usually comes from dodgy gas appliances). A lot do nowadays. Also, if you choose to let them in, ask advice as to the optimum place for siting alarms, so to be effective but not go off with every slice of toast. We householders tend to get it wrong by e.g. mounting them vertically on a wall instead of properly on a ceiling or trying to put them somewhere unobtrusive much inhibiting their detection capability.

Steam from the bathroom can also set some off, which is surprisingly quite normal apparently but wonderfully disconcerting if running about draped only with a bath towel