As well as operating under a reactive capacity (for example, if there’s a fire, you dial 999 and the fire service will attend to put the fire out), most fire services also have a pro active branch to their work – which usually means you can get a free fire safety check and a free smoke detector from the fire service in your local area.
In this article, I list and index all the contact details of all fire services in the UK, making it easy for you to find which fire service offers free home smoke detectors and fire checks.
Offering free home fire checks and free smoke detectors is designed to help prevent fires from happening in the first place, and are sometimes run by volunteers who offer their time in the local community to improve awareness about fire and the danger of fires, offer free advice on fire prevention and detection as well as offering safe and well visits.
These people are highly trained in fire safety and will also offer you additional advice on how to make your home as safe as possible.
Table of Contents
Can I Get A Free Smoke Detector From The Fire Service?
Getting a free smoke detector from the fire service depends on the county which you live in and your local fire service policy on free smoke detector installation.
In many cases, certain eligibility requirements must be met, an example of some of these requirements are:
- You’re over 75 years of age.
- You or someone you live with is disabled.
- You or someone you live with are classed as vulnerable.
If you are able to buy and fit a smoke alarm or smoke detector yourself, please do so (and have a look at our article: Best Smoke Detectors For Home Use (UK Top 3)
Please leave these services open and available for those who truly need them.
You can buy a cheap smoke detector here.
Self And Well Visits
Almost all fire services in the UK are part of the Safe And Well Initiative.
Safe And Well is the name they give to community visits to homes (and sometimes businesses) where free fire prevention and detection advice is given.
In some cases, free smoke alarms and installation are also offered.
The offer of a free smoke detector from the fire service is even more pertinent in the current financial climate, as there is evidence to suggest that the cost of living crisis is having an impact on fire alarm safety in homes around the UK, with more people prioritising essentials over safety.
Buy And Install Your Own?
Once again, if you are able to afford a smoke detector and fit it yourself – please do so.
A smoke detector will cost you £10 or less, and are easily fitted if you are able bodied.
In fact, most smoke detectors now come with an easy way to install them by using supplied adhesive pads.
That means no DIY, no drilling, and no messing with screws. If you can do this, and you don’t meet the eligibility criteria, I encourage you to go down this route.
Getting a free smoke detector from the fire service should be left open to those who truly need the help.
Safe & Well Home visits are designed for elderly and vulnerable people, and most will need you to meet eligibility requirements in order for you to qualify for these visists anyway.
We have some great articles about which are the best smoke detectors to purchase, advice on where you should install them as well as looking at different types and combinations you should consider.
How To Check If You Can Get A Free Alarm
Thankfully, I did the hard work for you below, just find your local area in the tables below, click on the link, and it will take you directly to the page that offers either Safe & Well Visits and/or free smoke detectors and installation.
Some even offer free carbon monoxide alarms too.
Please note: Last update: January 2024. All info was correct at the time of publication. Please check the site by clicking the website link for the latest information. Some policies may have changed since this was published as we cannot possibly check them all on a regular basis.
*January 2024: updated links below.
List Of Fire Services – Safe & Well Visits + Free Smoke Alarms
South Western Region
Free smoke detector and alarm installation in the regions of: Avon, Cornwall, Devon & Somerset, Dorset & Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Guernsey, Jersey and Isles of Scilly.
South Eastern Region
Free smoke detector and alarm installation in the regions of: Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire & Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Royal Berkshire, Surrey, West Sussex.
North Eastern Region
Free smoke detector and alarm installation in the regions of: Cleveland, Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear.
Yorkshire & Humberside Region
Free smoke detector and alarm installation in the regions of: Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.
North Western Region
Free smoke detector from the fire service in the regions of: Cheshire, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Northern Ireland.
Eastern Region
Safe And Well Visits and free smoke detector from the fire service in the regions of: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
East Midlands
Free smoke detector/safe and well visits from the fire service in the regions of: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire.
West Midlands
Free smoke detector/safe and well visits from the fire service in the regions of: Hereford and Worcester, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands.
Wales
Free smoke detector/safe and well visits from the fire service in the regions of: Mid and West Wales, North Wales and South Wales.
London
Free smoke detector/safe and well visits from the fire service in the regions of: London Fire Brigade
London Region | Website Link | Free Smoke Detector? |
London |
Scotland
Free smoke detector/safe and well visits from the fire service in the regions of: Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
Scotland Region | Website Link | Free Smoke Detector? |
Scotland |
Summary
Please do take action today. You will find that all numbers and websites listed here are genuinely there to help – ring the number and chat to your local team, and they will find a way to make sure your home is as safe as possible.
Even if you don’t meet the eligibility criteria and you can’t get a free smoke detector from the fire service, there’s no need to worry. A smoke alarm and detector costs from as little as £10, and even if you can’t install it yourself, a local handyman shouldn’t charge much more than that again to get it installed, as it’s a simple 5 minute job.
The nice thing about modern smoke detectors is that a lot of them come with two ways to install them; either the normal way, of using screws, or the new method where the smoke detector can be installed using adhesive pads. These pads are excellent, and work a treat, meaning as long as you have a safe way of reaching your ceiling, there will be no DIY, drilling or anything like that involved whatsoever.
You could also ask family, friends, or even trusted neighbours to help install it.
Whatever you do, please take action. A smoke alarm will help save your life in the event of a fire. Don’t become a statistic, it’s not worth putting off tomorrow something you can sort out today.
Questions & Comments
If you have any questions or comments about this article on getting a free smoke detector from the fire service, please leave them below. If you find any mistakes or any incorrect links to the above fire services, please also let me know and I will rectify them ASAP.
Stay Safe. Stay Secure.
Very informative, we were recently able to refer our neighbour who now lives alone to yorkshire fire brigade, and they came out within a few days, checked her house and even provided and fitted 3x brand spanking new smoke sensors. (just for info their home visits are back on and have been for some time.)
Super news, i’m glad the article helped. thankyou.
I am enquiring to see if I qualify for new smoke alarms I’m 67 have had 2strokes and other medical conditions I live on my own and neighbour told me to enquire about alarms from fire brigade
Hi Margaret, I’m sure you will. From the list, find the county/local area you live in and contact them. I’m sure with the criteria you mention, you will qualify.
i have several rental properties in Torfaen . will these qualify for free smoke alarms
My understanding is no. “Private sector landlords are required from 1 October 2015 to have at least one smoke alarm installed on every storey of their properties and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance (eg a coal fire, wood burning stove). After that, the landlord must make sure the alarms are in working order at the start of each new tenancy.”
A huge thanks for this very well presented piece of information, I was able to go through to the correct website, and now have someone coming to do a survey and fit some alarms for an elderly relative of ours at the beginning of July (unfortunately, bad legs prevent me from doing it for her). Much obliged young man.
You are welcome, glad to be of help.
Hi Mother who is 86 disabled Scotland. Home helps now insisting on linked smoke and heat detectors due to Scottish legislation. Can she get assistance in purchasing these
As she is 86 and disabled, I do believe help and support is available.
Call Care and Repair Scotalnd on 0141 221 9879, and explain the situation.Good luck, and if you can, let me know how it goes.
we got fire alarms fitted from warm works and now they are not working i am over 75 and i live in Fraserbugh
If you call 0800 0731 999 (Scotland Fire Sevice) and tell the problem, they will arrange a free home visit.
this was helpfull,,thank you so much
David, I am glad it helped. All the best.
Thankyou, this made it very easy to sort out a visit for our elderly parents.
I am glad it helped Vicky.
A very helpful, clear and concise article, which put me in the right direction. Thank You, best regards, Lorna x
Thankyou Laura, glad it was useful.
Excellent resource clearly laid out and explained. A hundred thanks to you.
Thankyou PD.
Thankyou so much for the information on this page, we now have somebody ringing back to arrange my mums home visit. Thankyou again!
You’re welcome, Sarah.
Good morning Richard and thank you for the above information all of which is very helpful. When I came up to bed last night the smoke alarm which is outside the bedroom door was beeping. Even with the door shut I could still hear it. Is there anything I can do to stop the noise other than switch the alarms off at the fuse box? I don’t really want to do that because it will deactivate the 2 alarms downstairs. I don’t have anyone I could ask, my family live away. I don’t know if I would be entitled to a home fire and safety check. I am 73 and have had 2 heart attacks resulting in a double bypass and a stroke more recently. Many thanks Linda.
Hi Linda,
I’m sure you would be eligible for a free home safety check – please if you haven’t already, use the info on this page to find your local fire service and ring them.
As you’re talking about mains powered detector, my best guess is the battery backup is failing, and the beep you are hearing is the warning for that failure. However, it could be a multitude of other things too, and without knowing the exact model I’m unsure what to suggest (and yes, you don’t want to knock out the other alarms on the circuit).