We hope everyone had a safe and fun Fourth of July weekend.
This is a good time to remind everyone of the importance of smoke detectors in your homes. It’s a documented fact–smoke detectors save lives. The majority of fatal home fires occur at night, when victims are sleeping. Many people think they’ll be awakened by the smell of smoke, but the truth is, the smoke and gass from a fire actually put people in a deeper sleep. And victims often die from the smoke and fumes long before the fire reaches them.
The National Fire Protection Association estimates that about one-third of all residential smoke detectors in the United States do not work properly. To make sure you don’t have one of those malfunctioning units, follow these useful tips:
Smoke detectors should be mounted within 6-12 inches of the ceiling or on the highest point of the ceiling away from fans and ducts.
They should be mounted in all bedrooms, common areas outside bedrooms (like hallways), stairways and living rooms. Each level should have one, including basements and attics.
All smoke detectors should be tied together (when more than one smoke alarm is installed the alarm devices shall be interconnected in such a manner that the actuation of one alarm will activate all of the alarms in the house.)
Special lighting should be in place for hearing impaired.
Keep a fire extenguisher in your house and readily accessible.
Check a battery-operated unit weekly and replace the batteries every 6 months.
Test each alarm monthly.
Practice a fire escape route and have an emergency plan in case of a fire.
Reports from the National Fire Protection Association on residential fire deaths show that people have nearly 40-50 percent better chance of surviving a fire if their home has the recommended number of smoke detectors. So why take a risk? Install smoke detectors!