Hove MP Celia Barlow is to be commended for lobbying the Government to make it law for sprinklers to be installed in all new homes in a bid to reduce domestic fires (The Argus, March 11).
However, there is something we can all do in the meantime to reduce the risk of injury or death from fire in our homes - install a smoke alarm and have an escape plan so you know what to do if it sounds.
As my colleagues in West Sussex County Council Fire and Rescue Service will confirm, smoke alarms save lives.
This is because they can give you and your family the necessary warning to get out in the early stages of a fire.
Smoke alarms are inexpensive, from around £5, and widely available and looking after them couldn't be easier.
Once a week - check the alarm by pressing the button. Once a year - change the battery (unless it is a ten-year alarm).
Twice a year - vacuum and wipe the smoke alarm casing to ensure dust isn't blocking the sensor chamber (for mains-wired alarms, switch off first).
-Lionel Barnard, West Sussex County Council, Cabinet member, Public Safety
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