Every year in the United States about 3,500 people die in home fires, and most of those deaths occurred in homes that didn’t have a working smoke alarm.
Fire departments across the country use the annual ‘spring- forward fall-back’ to help raise awareness about the need to replace batteries in your home’s smoke detectors.
An alarm can help you and your family escape a deadly fire and it can also help save the lives of firefighters who would otherwise have to risk their lives by searching a burning home for residents.
A working smoke alarm continuously scans the air for smoke, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It never sleeps.
In addition to changing your smoke alarm batteries this weekend, the United States Fire Administration recommends following these simple steps to protect your life, loved ones, and home:
• Dust or vacuum smoke alarms when you change the batteries.
• Test alarms once a month using the test button.
• Replace the entire alarm if it’s more than 10 years old or doesn’t work properly.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including basements and both inside and outside of sleeping areas.
• Make sure everyone in your home understands the warning of the smoke alarm and knows how to respond.
Finally, prepare and practice an escape plan so that you and your loved ones can get out of your home safely, should there be a fire. Plan to meet in a place a safe distance from the fire and where first responders can easily see you.
For more information on smoke alarms, fire escape planning and fire prevention, visit the USFA website at www.usfa.fema.gov/smokealarms.