AEDC Fire Department reminds you ‘working smoke alarms save lives: test yours Every Month!

  • Published
  • By Jim Evans, AEDC Contributing Writer
  • AEDC/PA
Arnold Air Force Base, TENN. --  In an effort to better educate communities throughout the U.S., firefighters and safety advocates nationwide are joining forces with the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in promoting "Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month!" as the theme for this year's Fire Prevention Week campaign, Oct. 5-11. 

"In a fire, seconds count," said Jim Evans, Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) Fire Prevention Officer. "Roughly half of home fire deaths result from fires reported at night between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most people are asleep. Home smoke alarms can alert people to a fire before it spreads, giving everyone enough time to get out. We want residents to understand that working smoke alarms are needed in every home, on every level (including the basement), outside each sleeping area and inside each bedroom." 

According to the latest NFPA research, working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire in half. Meanwhile, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. The association's data shows that many homes have smoke alarms that aren't working or maintained properly, usually because of missing, disconnected or dead batteries.

An ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires and a photoelec-tric smoke alarm is generally more responsive to smoldering fires. For the best protection, or where extra time is needed, to awaken or assist others, both types of alarms, or combination ionization and photoelectric alarms are recommended.

Interconnected smoke alarms offer the best protection; when one sounds, they all do. This is particularly important in larger or multi-story homes, where the sound from distant smoke alarms may be reduced to the point that it may not be loud enough to provide proper warning, especially for sleeping individuals.

The AEDC Fire Prevention Office offers the following tips for making sure smoke alarms are maintained and working properly:

· Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button, and make sure everyone in your home knows their sound.

· If an alarm "chirps," warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.

· Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they're 10 years old (or sooner) if they do not respond properly when tested.

· Never remove or disable a smoke alarm.

If you have questions regarding smoke detectors call the AEDC Fire Prevention Office at 454-5445. To learn more about "Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month!" visit NFPA's Web site at www.firepreventionweek.org.