The importance of having working smoke alarms in your home should be considered a necessity and not a luxury and should be one of the first items on your to-do list. Smoke alarms can be one of your first lines of defense against the potential devastation that a fire could cause to your home and loved ones.
The Week of October 4-10, 2015 is National Fire Prevention Week and the key message of this year’s campaign is to install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of your home, including the basement.
Statistics Support The Message That Fire Alarms Save Lives:
- Three out of five home fire deaths in 2007-2011 were caused by fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
- Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in reported home fires in half.
Smoke Alarm Safety Tips from the National Fire Protection Association:
- Install smoke alarms inside and outside each bedroom and sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home. Install alarms in the basement.
- Large homes may need extra smoke alarms.
- It is best to use interconnected smoke alarms. When one smoke alarm sounds they all sound.
- Test all smoke alarms at least once a month. Press the test button to be sure the alarm is working.
- There are two kinds of alarms. Ionization smoke alarms are quicker to warn about flaming fires. Photoelectric alarms are quicker to warn about smoldering fires. It is best to use of both types of alarms in the home.
- A smoke alarm should be on the ceiling or high on a wall. Keep smoke alarms away from the kitchen to reduce false alarms. They should be at least 10 feet (3 meters) from the stove.
- People who are hard-of-hearing or deaf can use special alarms. These alarms have strobe lights and bed shakers.
- Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.
For more fire prevention and safety tips visit www.nfpa.org/safety-information/fire-prevention-week
Source: www.nfpa.org
Paul d’Oliveira
Attorney Paul d’Oliveira has been practicing personal injury and disability law for over 30 years. He started his personal injury law practice in 1989 with two offices in Fall River, MA and East Providence, RI. Today his firm has 16 offices in RI and Southeastern, MA.
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