Q. I currently have smoke and heat alarms provided by the council's Home Safety Service. Do I need to do anything to meet the new regulations?
A. Telecare smoke and heat alarms are in addition to the interlinked alarms you need to meet the new regulations. You will still need to fit interlinked smoke and heat alarms and maybe a carbon monoxide alarm.
If you are a home owner, this is your responsibility.
You may be eligible to receive some assistance with the installation of interlinked fire alarms. West Lothian Council Advice Shop provides assistance through their short-term financial insecurity fund "Feeling the Pinch". They assist people on low incomes with the cost of any one-off expenditure such as interlinked fire alarms. Advisors can also offer to undertake an Income Expenditure and Benefit Health Check to look at ways to maximise your income. To make an application to the fund, please contact the advice shop on 01506 283000 or use the online referral form Advice Shop online referral form (opens new window)
If you are a tenant,it is your landlord's responsibility to install interlinked smoke and heat alarms and a carbon monoxide alarm (if necessary).
For advice on fire safety or to request a Home Fire Safety Visit, contact The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service on 0800 0731 999 or visit the Scottish Fire and Rescue service website (opens new window)
Q. I have fitted interlinked smoke and heat detectors and a carbon monoxide alarm to meet the new regulations. Should I remove my telecare heat, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms?
A. No.
Interlinked smoke and heat alarms require to be installed in addition to any telecare smoke/heat alarms to help keep you safe. If you have fitted interlinked smoke and heat alarms and a new carbon monoxide alarm, please do not remove your telecare smoke/heat alarms or your telecare carbon monoxide alarm (if you have one).
Interlinked fire alarms and non-telecare carbon monoxide alarms:
- do not link with your telecare fire alarm
- do not connect to West Lothian Careline and a call handler.
Information about interlinked heat and smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms is shown in the Scottish Government leaflet which you may have already received. For more detail, please go to mygov.scot website
Q. Will the council's Home Safety Service provide the extra smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms I need to meet the new regulations?
A. No.
This is because the interlinked smoke and heat alarms are required as well as the telecare smoke/heat and carbon monoxide alarms to help keep you safe. The telecare smoke/heat alarms are not the same as interlinked smoke and heat alarms.
Q. Who do I contact if I have questions about my telecare heat, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors?
A. If you have any questions about your telecare equipment, please contact West Lothian Careline by pressing your pendant or telephoning on 0330 6782396.
Q. How do I know which alarms are telecare heat, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms?
A. These will have been installed by the telecare service and are linked to the telecare alarm unit in your home.
If you are unsure, you should ask the person installing your new interlinked alarms to check the existing heat, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms by pressing the test buttons on them. If they connect to West Lothian Careline, these are telecare alarms, and you should tell the operator that you are testing the alarm.
Q. Do I need to change the location of my telecare heat/smoke alarms when installing new interlinked heat and smoke alarms?
A. No, the telecare alarms should be left in their current position. The installer of the new interlinked alarms should identify a suitable position for these to ensure all alarms work safely together.
