This year’s theme from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month!”
The NFPA has been the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years, and is currently gearing up to officially kick off this year’s campaign, October 5-11.
“Smoke alarms can help make the difference between life and death in a fire, but they need to be working,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of outreach and advocacy. “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign reinforces the importance of testing smoke alarms each month, and works to ensure that people have the needed protection in the event of a home fire.”
In a press release by NFPA, Carli added that working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half. While research shows that most U.S. homes have at least one smoke detector, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
“The common presence of smoke alarms in the home tends to create a false sense of security,” said Carli. “Simply having smoke alarms isn’t enough. They need to be tested and maintained properly.”
In addition to monthly testing, smoke alarms should be installed and maintained as follows:
• There should be at least one smoke alarm on every level of the home including the basement, outside all sleeping areas and in every bedroom.
• For smoke alarms that include a 10-year non-replaceable battery, replace the entire smoke alarm if it begins to “chirp,” indicating that the battery is running low. For smoke alarms that use regular batteries, replacing the batteries once a year is recommended, or before then if the battery begins to chirp.
• All smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years or sooner if they don’t respond properly when tested.
• For the best protection, smoke alarms should be interconnected, so that when one alarm sounds, they all do.
Caribou’s North Lakes Fire and Rescue Chief Darren Woods explained that these are certainly tips that you want to follow, and that when it comes to purchasing smoke detectors for your home, it’s just like anything else, you get what you pay for.
“When it comes to having a fire in your home, a matter of seconds makes a big difference. That’s why it’s always important to have multiple detectors throughout your home,” said Woods. “Typically, smoke detectors have a shelf life of about 10 years, so you certainly shouldn’t wait longer than that to replace an old detector. It’s also important to change the batteries twice a year, and to make sure they are cleaned frequently.”
Much like officials from NFPA, Woods also pointed out how helpful interconnected smoke alarms can be when it comes to a fire in the home.
“Interconnected smoke alarms are a great idea,” said Woods. “I just had new alarms installed in my own house, and it will cost you a couple hundred dollars to have them installed by an electrician, but when it comes to my family’s safety, a couple extra dollars is nothing. It’s even possible to get dual detectors that can warn a family of both fires and carbon monoxide. In my opinion, that’s the safest bet.”
Woods added that there are two different types of smoke alarms, photo electric and ionization. He explained that one will react quicker to smoke, while the other is quicker to detect a rise in temperature.
“However, it is now possible to purchase a dual-sensor alarm that reacts effectively to both smoke and temperature, which again, may be a little more expensive, but when it comes to protecting your loved ones, price really isn’t important.”
