Smoke Alarms save lives!

• A  U.S. telephone survey discovered that 96% of the households surveyed had at least one smoke alarm in 2004.

 

• Homes with smoke alarms have a 40-50% less death rate than the homes without alarms.

 

• About half of home fire deaths result from fires in the percentage of homes with no smoke alarms.

 

• Homes with smoke alarms have a death rate that is 40-50% less than the rate for homes without alarms.

 

• In one-quarter of the reported fires in homes equipped with smoke alarms, the devices did not work.  Non-working smoke alarm households now outnumber those with no smoke alarms at all.

 

 

 

Installation and maintenance

• Smoke alarms  should be installed on every level of your home, in the basement,  and  outside every separate sleeping area. It is best to have them interconnected.

 

• Hard wired smoke alarms operate on your household electrical current. They are usually interconnected so that all alarms sound when only one is triggered. This is an early warning advantage, because it gives occupants extra time to escape if they are in another the part of the home from where the fire breaks out. It is a good idea to have a battery back up on all hard wired smoke alarms in-case of power interruption.

 

• If you sleep with bedroom doors closed,  install interconnected smoke alarms in each room.

 

• Consider installing an alarm that combines flashing lights, vibration and/or sound if someone in your home is deaf or hard of hearing

 

• Remember smoke rises so mount smoke alarms high on walls or ceilings.  Mounted ceiling smoke alarms at least four inches away from the nearest wall; mounted wall smoke alarms 6 to 12 inches away from the ceiling. On pitched ceilings install the alarm at the ceilings highest point.

 

• Don't install smoke alarms near windows, doors, or ducts where drafts might interfere with their operation.

 

• Test your smoke alarms regularly, recommended weekly.

 

• Do not paint smoke alarms. Paint, stickers, or other decorations could could block the smoke from getting to the alarm and also block the sound from emitting properly.

 

• Replace the batteries in your smoke alarm once a year, or as soon as the alarm "chirps" warning that the battery is low. The national recommended time for battery replacements is the same day you change your clocks from daylight savings time to standard time in the fall.

 

• Don't disable smoke alarms even temporarily. If your smoke alarm is sounding "false alarms," try relocating it farther from kitchens or bathrooms, where the cooking fumes and steam will not  cause false alarms.

 

• Do not even think about borrowing a battery from a smoke alarm.

 

• Regularly vacuuming or dusting your smoke alarms can keep them working properly.

 

• Smoke alarms don't last forever. Replace yours once every 10 years. It's probably time for a new one if you can't remember how old your alarm is.  Smoke alarms don't last forever. 

 

• Consider installing an automatic home fire sprinkler system if you are building a new home or remodeling your old home. Sprinklers and smoke alarms together cut your risk of dying in a home fire 82 percent relative to having neither.

 

**Why do smoke alarms fail?  Usually because of missing, disconnected or dead batteries.

 

**Working smoke alarms are important in every house.  However if nobody in the home knows what to do if they hear the smoke alarm it may not help at all. That's why you must also practice home fire drills to be certain everyone is familiar with the smoke alarm and it's signal, and to know the evacuation procedure and where to met outside the home.

 

• Plan regular fire drills to ensure that everyone knows exactly what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Hold a drill at night to make sure that sleeping family members awaken at the sound of the alarm. Some studies have shown that some children may not awaken to the sound of the smoke alarm. Know what your child will do before a fire occurs.