NSW Fire and Rescue Dungog personnel Matt and Renee Thompson went along with the fire truck and checked all the smoke alarms in the homes.

In the other villages in the shire Rural Fire Service volunteers checked other homes to make sure they were all working correctly and installed new batteries.

Meals on Wheels coordinator Kim Windebank said there were a number of homes who needed to have new alarms installed, and in one case, there were none in the house at all.

Darryl Sullivan said he wasn’t as young as he used to be and wasn’t confident in getting up the ladder.

“The kids will get up and change the battery when they come home at Christmas, but this service is great,” he said.

“There are a lot of people around who don’t have family to help and it’s nice to know that Neighbourcare and the firies are able to do it for us.”