THE COUNTY'S fire service is urging homeowners to make a New Year’s Resolution that matters – testing their smoke alarms on the first day of every month in 2014.

Smoke alarms should be up-to-date, in the right place and tested regularly as they can give someone the extra seconds they need to escape if there is a fire.

While the majority of homes across the county now have an alarm fitted, most people are not aware that the average alarm has a lifespan of just 10 years and then needs replacing.

For people who live in a larger home a single smoke alarm isn’t enough. Last year, in nearly half of all fires in the home where the smoke alarm did not give a warning the reason was that the alarm was not close enough to detect the fire. Missing or flat batteries were another major cause.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service's (GFRS) chief fire officer Jon Hall said: “At this time of year, many people will be thinking of what they can do, big or small, to make a fresh start and improve their lives, homes and wellbeing.

"A smoke alarm can offer vital protection but most people simply fit and forget – they don’t know if it might be coming to the end of its lifespan or not working at all.”