Many injuries and deaths from home fires could be avoided yearly if there were working fire alarms installed in the home.
According to the USFA, 3 out of 5 home fire-related deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms.
More than one-third of home fire-related deaths result from fires where no smoke alarms were installed. You can cut the risk of dying in a house fire by 50% with working fire alarms.
Life Expectancy of Fire Alarms is 10 Years
The smoke alarms in your home should be replaced every ten years. If your smoke alarm is older than that, replace it immediately. If you are not sure how to check your smoke alarms for a date, follow these steps:
- Remove the device from the wall or the ceiling.
- Look at the back of the alarm for the date manufactured.
- If ten years have gone by, replace the device.
Installing the Fire Alarms
Proper installation requires that every bedroom should have a fire alarm installed. Additionally, at least one fire alarm should be installed on every floor of your home, outside the sleeping area. So, for example, if you have a two-story house with four bedrooms, you would need six fire alarms at a minimum.
Half of the fire-related home deaths occur during the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., which makes it important to have this safety feature near you while you sleep.
Children or elderly in your home may need assistance waking up when the alarm sounds. Make sure you have a plan in place with someone in your family to wake them up and get them safely out of the home.
Fire Alarm Safety
Every home should have both an ionization smoke alarm and a photoelectric smoke alarm installed, or dual sensor smoke alarms. It is recommended to get interconnected smoke alarms for your home, so that when one alarm sounds, they all sound.
Caring for Your Smoke Alarms
It is important to test your smoke alarms monthly. Batteries in both 9-volt smoke alarms and hardwired smoke alarms should be changed yearly to make sure they are operating correctly. No matter which type you have in your home, all smoke alarms need to be replaced every ten years.
Fire Safety Tips
Fire alarms are a device that can make a huge impact in the event of a home fire. You should be aware of how many are in your home, where they are located, and that they are functioning properly.
Also, make sure your family is aware of how fire alarms work and that they are armed with a plan of action, should a fire occur. Follow these safety tips during an unexpected fire disaster:
- Close doors. They may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.
- When you get out of the house, stay out.
- Have a family meeting space planned and go straight there.
- Call the fire department from a cell phone or a neighbor’s phone immediately.
- Never re-enter the fire area until a firefighter gives you the all clear.
Stay on top of fire safety in your home. Install fire alarms and keep your family and pets safe.
