The annual fire safety campaign began today.

The annual fire safety campaign by firefighters began at Lækjarskóli in Hafnarfjörður today and will run until the beginning of Advent. Firefighters visit Year 3 primary school pupils across the country to educate them about fire safety. One such visitor was the mayor, who dressed up as a firefighter for the occasion. She visited the Year 3 pupils at Lækjarskóli today, the first day of the campaign, and chatted with the children about fire safety. The mayor stepped into the role of a firefighter for the occasion. Surveys show that fire safety education has a slow but steady impact overall, and it is clear that a large part of the public is very aware of the importance of fire safety at home. 

Are you sure you have the appropriate fire safety equipment in your home, i.e. smoke alarms, a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket?

Fire safety is poorest among 25-34 year-olds

People aged 25-34 lag far behind others when it comes to home fire safety, according to a survey conducted by Gallup for the National Association of Fire and Rescue Services (LSS) and the Fire Safety Federation. Whether looking at the number of smoke alarms or fire extinguishers, this age group is far less well-equipped than others. However, regular Gallup surveys over recent years show that households are generally improving their fire safety and are thus better prepared to respond to a fire. Around half of all households now have the recommended fire safety equipment, namely smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and a fire blanket. Ten per cent of respondents aged 25-34 have no smoke alarm and another 24 per cent have only one, according to the Gallup poll, but the proportion of those with no smoke alarm is much lower in other age groups, as low as three per cent. The same is true when it comes to fire extinguishers and fire blankets in homes. People aged 25-34 are much less likely to have such equipment in their home than others. For example, only 49 per cent of young people say they have fire-resistant blankets, whereas this figure is as high as 66 per cent in other age groups and over 60 per cent on average.

The main findings of the Gallup survey are as follows:

• In about half of all households, there are smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and fire blankets.
• In 24 per cent of households, there is no smoke alarm or only one (38.4 per cent in 2006).
• The proportion of households with four or more smoke alarms has meanwhile increased from 21.5 per cent in 2006 to 33.3 per cent now.
• Smoke alarms are in around 74 per cent of homes, and this proportion has never been higher.
• Fire safety is generally strongest among those who live in detached houses, but weakest among those who live in blocks of flats.

The main sponsors of the Fire Prevention Initiative are the Civil Protection Department, 112, the Brunabótafélag Íslands Property Holding Company, TM and the country's fire services.