HOMEOWNERS in West Devon are being offered the chance to receive a full fire safety check in their homes and, if required, the free fitting of a smoke alarm.

Devon Fire and Rescue Service, in partnership with Tavistock-based West Devon Care and Repair, is offering a home fire safety check to encourage people to be more aware of fire safety.

West Devon Care and Repair handyman Tim Goodwin has received training to undertake a full fire safety assessment on behalf of the fire brigade.

The home fire safety check should take no longer than 10-15 minutes.

The home occupier answers simple questions and is given suitable advice depending on their answers. For example, smokers are reminded to ensure cigarettes are extinguished properly before going to bed and ashtray contents are cool before being emptied into a bin. Those with an open fire place should ensure a fireguard is used, those burning coal should get their chimney swept once a year, twice a year for those burning logs.

Also discussed is a night-time regime; switching off items of electrical equipment not designed to stay on overnight like the TV, and turning off portable heaters and closing doors.

'If your smoke alarm wakes you up at half past three in the morning, it's pitch black, you can smell smoke and you're panicking, is this the time to be thinking where are the keys to the front door?' said community fire safety officer, leading firefighter Andy Rowse.

'Have you thought about if the fire is between you and the front door, is there another way out, is there a telephone to call for the fire service, can you shout to neighbours or jump from the window if you have to?

'These things should all be thought of now while you can, and not when you're choking in smoke,' he added.

Clients of the West Devon handyperson scheme who don't have a working smoke alarm can contact Nicole on 01822 618636 and they will fit a smoke alarm provided by the fire service for free.

West Devon Care and Repair was set up to offer advice and help to residents who are over 60 or disabled to reduce accidents in the home and improve home security.

A free home fire safety check and smoke alarm can also be arranged by contacting Andy Rowse on 01752 333627.