Know how to deal with a fire

FIRE officers have issued a warning to people saying make sure you can get out of your house in the case of a fire . The warning comes after the discovery that a number of newly built homes require the front door key to be in the lock before the door can

FIRE officers have issued a warning to people saying 'make sure you can get out of your house in the case of a fire'.

The warning comes after the discovery that a number of newly built homes require the front door key to be in the lock before the door can be opened.

Darren Riddell, community safety officer, said: "Home security is important but it is vital that everyone knows how they would get out in the event of an emergency."

He said that smoke alarms provided vital early warning, but planning an escape route is the next step after installing an alarm system.

"Many doors in new buildings need to have the key in the lock before doors can be opened and we are warning homeowners to make sure they keep their keys in a place where they would be able to find them in an emergency," he added.

"The same applies to keys for window locks as well.

"Everyone should make sure that they have working smoke alarms, that they test their alarms on a weekly basis and that they know how to get out if they ever need to in an emergency.

"It only takes a few minutes but it could mean the difference between a family escaping unharmed and a tragedy if the worst should happen."

It is also recommended that all non-essential electrical items are switched off at the socket and unplugged overnight.