Every year there are a significant number of fires on boats on inland waterways, some of which result in deaths and injuries.
The greatest hazard is at night when the boat is moored with those on board asleep. In these circumstances there may be a delay in a fire being detected with the resulting danger that smoke may render escape routes unnavigable.
Clearly, the earlier that a fire is discovered, the more time is available for those on board to escape, raise the alarm with other people in the vicinity and call the fire brigade.
The danger in the event of a fire is not just the immediate threat to life but in a crowded marina a fire could rapidly spread to cause costly damage to many other craft and cause severe disruption to the smooth running of the day to day business of the facility.
A key element in the detection of a fire, especially when those on board may be asleep, is an automatic alarm.
In 2007 the BSS asked the Fire Protection Association as the leading competent body in matters of protecting property and people from the effects of fire, to produce a report on the increasingly important subject of smoke alarms for boats.
You can read the report here 