Twitter
Facebook
***image1***Every year in the United States, about 3,000 people lose their lives in residential fires. Most fire victims die from inhalation of smoke and toxic gases, not as a result of burns. Most deaths and injuries occur in fires that happen at night while the victims are asleep.
Smoke alarms are the residential fire safety success story of the past quarter century. Since the 1970s, the home fire death rate has been reduced to half, thanks to the concept of battery-powered smoke alarms
being available to consumers.
Facts and Figures
• An estimated 890 lives could be saved each year if all homes had working smoke alarms.
• Sixty-five percent of reported home fire deaths from 2000 to 2004 resulted from fires in homes with no working smoke alarms.
• The fire death rate in homes with working smoke alarms is 51 percent less than the rate for homes without this protection.
• In one out of every five homes with at least one smoke alarm installed, not a single one was working.
Why do smoke alarms fail? Most often, because of missing, disconnected or dead
batteries.
Working smoke alarms are essential in every household. Also, it is necessary to practice home fire drills to be certain everyone is familiar with the smoke alarm signal to determine a quick and safe evacuation.
Here are some fire safety tips to ensure your family and you are prepared in the event of a fire in the home:
• Check your smoke alarms regularly. At a minimum, test your smoke alarms once a month in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Replace the batteries in your smoke alarm once a year or as soon as the alarm “chirps,” warning that the battery is low. Hint: Schedule battery replacements for the same day you change your clocks from daylight-saving time to standard time in the fall.
• Never “borrow” a battery from a smoke alarm. Smoke alarms can’t warn you of a fire if their batteries are missing or have been disconnected.
• Don’t disable smoke alarms, even temporarily.
• Regularly vacuuming or dusting your smoke alarms, following the manufacturer’s instructions, can keep them working properly.
Plan regular fire drills to ensure that everyone knows exactly what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Hold a drill at night to ensure that your sleeping family awakens at the sound of the alarm. Some studies have shown that children may not awaken to the sound of the smoke alarm. Know what your child will do before a fire occurs.
Smoke detectors are your family’s first line of defense against a fire in the home. They give you early warning that danger is present and they give your family time to reach safety. You can prevent tragedies simply by testing and maintaining your smoke alarms and practicing a fire escape plan at least twice a year. Smoke alarms save lives, prevent injuries and minimize property damage by enabling residents to detect fires early in their development.
(Courtesy of the 435th Fire Prevention Office)
