Smoke alarms

Sir Alex Ferguson supports the 2006 Push the button not your luck campaign

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service continues to campaign through advertising, the media and marketing materials about the vital importance of having a working smoke alarm in the home and promoting the fact that we offer free home fire risk assessments.

Summer 2006 - Push the button not your luck!
In August 2006, Communities and Local Government launched a Fire Kills campaign called ‘Push the button not your luck!’ We promoted this locally through the media highlighting that if for 30 seconds a week you test your smoke alarm it could save your life. We also put across to the public the shocking fact that you' re twice as likely to die in a fire if you don’t have a working smoke alarm. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson supported the campaign stating:

 “I’m happy to support Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service in this campaign – 30 seconds a week to check your smoke alarm works seems a small price to keep your family safe”.

Christmas 2005
Before Christmas 2005, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service launched a fire safety campaign telling people how they could help save someone’s life at Christmas by buying them a smoke alarm.

Posters appeared on 70 billboards across the county telling people how they could save someone’s life by buying them a smoke alarm (see pictured).

Between the start of and midnight New Years Day 2005 there were 77 accidental fires in residential dwellings in Greater Manchester, a 19% reduction compared with the same period last year when there were 94.

Summer 2005 - How much is your child's life worth
July 2005 saw the start of a month long campaign on local radio station Key 103 and Granada TV with a haunting advert which highlights the importance of changing the batteries in your smoke alarm. The television advert shows a distraught father in a burnt out room asking, “How much is a child’s life worth? I thought my daughter’s was priceless, turn’s out it was just £1.50 the price of a new battery for the smoke alarm.” A similarily shocking advert was produced for radio.

In addition promotional teams from Key 103 went into Manchester City Centre and Salford Shopping Precinct offering people the chance to have free fire safety checks in their homes.

Watch the TV advert (MP3 Move File 4,637 KB)

Listen to the radio advert (MP3 Audio File 470k)