ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- “Hear a beep, get on your feet.”
“Hear a chirp, make a change.”
Fire officials across the country, including those in Arnold Air Force Base Fire and Emergency Services, want everyone to be able to distinguish between these sounds and heed their warnings.
Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 3-9. The theme of this year’s campaign is “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety.” The goal is to save lives by educating the public on the meaning of the various sounds emitted by smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
The National Fire Protection Association, which has sponsored Fire Prevention Week for nearly a century, is urging people to know the difference between a beep and a chirp and take the appropriate action should they hear either sound coming from an alarm. This article opens with a pair of instructions devised by the NFPA as part of this year’s Fire Prevention Week effort to help folks remember how to react in both instances.
In smoke alarms, a continued set of three loud beeps indicates smoke or fire. Those met with this sound should exit the structure they are in, remain outside and call 911.
In carbon monoxide alarms, a continuous set of four loud beeps means carbon monoxide is present in the home. Once this alarm goes off, those inside should also exit the building, remain outside and call 911.
To ensure residential smoke and carbon monoxide alarms meet the needs of everyone in the home including anyone with sensory and physical disabilities, the NFPA recommends:
- Installing a bedside alert device that responds to the sound of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. The use of a low-frequency alarm can also wake a sleeping person with mild to severe hearing loss. Some alarms have a built-in strobe light that triggers when the alarm goes off to alert the hearing impaired, and pillow or bed shakers that work in conjunction with alarms are also available.
- Sleeping with mobility devices, glasses and phones close to the bed.
- Keeping pathways such as hallways lit with night lights and free from clutter to make sure all inside can get out safely.
Arnold FES Fire Prevention/Communications Officer Christian Lyle said these alarms should always be taken seriously and recommended actions should be followed as soon as their warnings blare.
“Get out of the building or get out of the situation and then figure out what’s going on,” he said. “Don’t just ignore it because it is there for your safety.”
Along with the loud beeps, both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors emit a “chirping” sound as a call to action.
In both types of detectors, a single chirp produced by the device every 30 to 60 seconds indicates the battery powering the detector is low and needs to be changed.
Chirping that continues after the battery has been replaced in either a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm means the alarm is at the end of its life and the unit must be replaced. Carbon monoxide alarms additionally have “end of life sounds” that vary by manufacturer. These sounds indicate that it’s time to replace the existing carbon monoxide alarm with a new one.
All smoke alarms should be replaced after 10 years.
“On the back of the detector it will have a manufacturer’s date. So, from that date, 10 years,” said Arnold FES Fire Prevention Inspector Steve Macon. “If it exceeds 10 years, it needs to be replaced.”
It is recommended that carbon monoxide alarms be replaced every five to seven years.
Those who don’t remember how old an alarm is are encouraged to go ahead and replace the unit.
More information on the sounds of a particular unit may be found by referring to its user’s guide or by searching the brand and model online.
Macon said alarms should be UL listed, meaning the device meets the required safety standards. He also said batteries in both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should be changed a couple of times annually. A good way to remember this, he said, is to replace the batteries in the alarm when daylight saving time begins in the spring and again when it ends in the fall.
Alarms should be tested monthly and cleaned periodically to remove dust and debris within. They should be installed on each level of a residence to help ensure all can react quickly and get to safety should one go off.
Some alarms may be hardwired into a home or other structure rather than relying primarily on batteries to power them. However, these devices typically have a battery backup and will produce sounds when the backup battery is low or possibly as an end-of-life warning. It is also recommended that hardwired smoke alarms be replaced every 10 years and hardwired carbon monoxide alarms every five to seven years.
There are also two primary types of residential smoke detectors – ionization and photoelectric – named for the types of sensors found within. Ionization alarms are typically more responsive to the smoke produced by flaming fires, such as cooking fires, and those fueled by paper or flammable liquids. Photoelectric alarms are more responsive to fires that begin with a smoldering stage.
Because each type of alarm has its own advantages, dual sensor alarms are also available.
Regardless of the type of alarm one chooses to install in their home or business, the battery and unit replacement recommendations apply.
For facilities at Arnold, a preventative maintenance schedule is in place in which Base Civil Engineering regularly tests fire systems across base to ensure they are operational.
“Our whole goal at the Fire Prevention Office is to make sure everybody is safe and able to go home to their families,” Lyle said.
Those with questions or in need of additional information may contact Arnold FES at 931-454-5569 or 931-454-5306.