Renfrewshire Council

Smoke alarms

All Scottish homes are legally required  to have an interlinked (connected) heat and smoke alarm system. If you're a council tenant, you'll have compliant smoke alarms installed in your home. 

Interlinked means if one alarm goes off, they all go off, so you will always hear an alarm wherever you are in your home. 

There are interlinked heat and smoke alarms installed in all our council homes.

Your home must have:

• 1 smoke alarm in the living room or the room you use most
• 1 smoke alarm in every hallway or landing
• 1 heat alarm in the kitchen.

If you have a boiler, fire, heater, or flue in any room, you must also have a tamper-proof carbon monoxide detector in the same room. The carbon monoxide detector alarm does not need to be linked to the fire alarm system. You do not need a carbon monoxide detector for gas cookers and hobs.

Tamper-proof means that you should not be able to remove the battery from the unit itself, as this can lead to failure.

Tamper-proof units come with a battery sealed inside which will last for10 years.

What checks you must do

You must check that your smoke or heat alarms are working properly. Test the alarm every week by pressing the button located on the face of the alarm. We recommend you test a different alarm each time.

If you have other alarms that are battery operated, you should test them too. 

Most alarms have a test push button as standard. Press the test button for approximately 5 seconds and you should hear the alarm sounds.

If other alarms and detectors at the property are interlinked, they will also sound.

If your alarm isn't working, or it will not stop ringing, phone us on 0300 300 0300 to report it.

What you must not do

Do not disconnect your smoke alarm, even if the noise is irritating.  

Do not apply polystyrene tiles to ceilings and walls. If there's a fire, these can produce dense black smoke and release poisonous gases.

Fire safety

Follow these fire safety tips in your home.

Always:

• unplug electrical appliances at night if you're not using them, like chargers which can overheat and ignite causing fire
• do not leave anything with a lithium battery charging overnight, such as mobile phones, mobility scooters or e-bikes - all these devices have lithium batteries
• make sure all discarded cigarette ends have been fully extinguished, empty all ashtrays at night and leave the ashtrays on a flat surface
• place a fireguard in front of coal, gas, or electric fires and remove fabrics or clothes next to the fire
• close all the doors inside your home before you go to bed at night to limit the spread of fire and smoke   
• clean filters in tumble driers regularly to avoid lint build-up which can create a fire risk

Never:

• overload electrical power points - this can lead to sockets and adaptors overheating and creating a source of fire
• leave matches or lighters where children can reach them
• leave fires, heaters, or candles unattended or near fabrics or clothing
• leave cooking appliances unattended on the cooker or in the kitchen
• leave clothes or laundry drying over electric heaters unattended
• interfere with electrical wiring or gas pipework installed in your property, as this may create the risk of fire or gas explosions. 

If you live in a high-rise flat

Living in a high-rise flat does not make you more at risk from fire. 

Planning what you should do in the event of a fire is mostly the same as for people in any type of property.

Your building has been designed and built with fire safety in mind The walls and doors between flats, stairs, and corridors, are designed to resist fire and stop smoke spreading.

Most fires do not spread across more than 1 or 2 rooms, so if there is a fire in your building, you are usually safest in your own flat unless heat or smoke is affecting you.   

Do not use the lift

Do not use lifts if there is a fire.

If the fire alarm is activated, the lifts will automatically return to the ground floor. Anyone inside the lift can exit it but it can only be operated by Scottish Fire and Rescue after this. 

If your home is in a block of flats

There are alarms fitted in communal areas such as entry halls and stairways of all high-rise residential buildings.

Flats in high-rise buildings do not need to have their alarms and detectors linked to each other.

Stay in Place policy for multi-storey buildings

The council and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have adopted a 'Stay in Place' policy for all multi-storey buildings.

If a fire breaks out in the building:

• activate the nearest fire alarm call point or phone 999 If you see or smell smoke in the corridor, bin area or from the refuse chute
• stay inside your flat and close all windows and doors
• only leave your flat if you are affected by heat or smoke or told to do so by the fire officers 
• do not block the fire doors on landings or stairwells as they are there to restrict smoke transfer.

If there's fire in your flat:

• try to keep calm - make sure everyone in your home knows there's a fire, then get out and stay out
• try to close the door to the room where the fire is located and any other doors leading to the front door as you leave - this will reduce the speed of fire and smoke spreading 
• do not stop to collect your valuables or belongings - your life is more important
• do not attempt to fight the fire - leave it to fire officers
• do not open doors if they are warm to touch, as the fire may be in that room
• crawl on the floor if there is a lot of smoke, as the air will be clearer there
• use the stairs - do not use the lift 
• do not panic or rush, as this may result in falling or injuring yourself or someone else
• wait for the arrival of the fire officers and give them any information they ask for.

As soon as you can:

• activate the fire alarm in the break-glass unit on the landing
• phone 999 and tell them your full address, including your flat number and floor.

If your escape route is blocked:

• do not leave any items or flammable materials on the landing, in corridors or in communal areas your landing or in corridors that could prevent escaping or hinder rescue attempts
• get everyone into a room with a window or balcony - if possible, a room farthest from the source of the fire or smoke
• place items like cushions, bedding or pillows at the bottom of the door to keep out smoke
• if possible, open the window for fresh air, wave a sheet and shout for assistance to let firefighters or neighbours know you are there and you need to be rescued
• place damp towels or bedding around doorways to restrict smoke entry if the fire is outside your flat
• close any fitted ventilation grilles or extractor fans in bathrooms or kitchens
• phone 999 and tell them your full address, including your flat number and floor.

If your front door becomes hot, do not open it - if possible  wet it down. 

Free fire safety checks  

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service offers free home fire safety visits to everyone in their area.

To arrange a visit, phone 0800 0731 999 or text 'FIRE' to 80800 on your mobile phone. Your local fire station will call you back to arrange a time and date that suits you. During the visit, firefighters will check each room of your house with you, helping you make sure your house is safe.

You can get more practical fire safety advice for your home on the Fire Scotland website.

Disposal of old alarms  

If one of our contractors is replacing an alarm in your home, they will dispose of the old, broken, or damaged alarm.

Some, but not all, types of alarms can be recycled at household waste recycling centres. Look on the alarm for information or check with the manufacturer.

Find out what you can dispose of at our household waste recycling centres.

More information

You can read more information about the law on fire and smoke alarms (Scottish Government website).