Smoke alarms save lives, but only if they work.

Test yours monthly to make sure they are in good working order.

There are a number of ways to ensure you and your loved ones are safe:

• The easiest way to protect your home and family from fire is with working smoke alarms - get them, install them, test them. They could save your life;

• Fit at least one on every level of your home and test them monthly;

• Ten-year sealed battery smoke alarms are the best option. They are slightly more expensive, but you save on the cost of replacing batteries;

• If it is a ten-year alarm, you will need to replace the whole alarm every ten years;

• Never disconnect your alarms or take the batteries out if it goes off by mistake;

• The ideal position to install an alarm is on the ceiling in the middle of a room and on the hallway and landing so you can hear an alarm throughout your home;

• Don’t put alarms in or near kitchens or bathrooms where smoke or steam can set them off by accident;

• If it is difficult for you to fit smoke alarms yourself, contact your local fire and rescue service for help.

PLEASE NOTE: Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service gave away free smoke alarms in Merseyside from 1999 to 2012.

However, since January 2012, due to budget cuts, MF&RS is no longer able to offer free smoke alarms to everyone in Merseyside.

To make the best use of its limited resources, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service is now using an intelligence-led approach to target the most high-risk and vulnerable members of the community and provide them with free smoke alarms.

If you live in Merseyside, you can phone 0800 731 5958 for free home fire safety advice or a home fire safety check. If appropriate, MFRS is able to offer a not-for-profit service to provide smoke alarms.