Smoke Alarms the Focus of Fire Prevention Week

As a member of the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA), Mountain Alarm is proud to recognize Fire Protection Week, October 6 -12. The NFPA has been promoting fire safety for more than 100 years. This year’s campaign is “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” We’re happy to join them in educating everyone about the importance of having working smoke alarms in your home.

According to NFPA, smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by 54 percent. Meanwhile, roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

“Smoke alarms serve as the first line of defense in a home fire, but they need to be working in order to protect people,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign helps better educate the public about simple but critical steps they can take to make sure their homes have smoke alarms in all the needed locations and that they’re working properly.”

Working smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire–giving your family the time to get out safely. This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign is a great way to remind us all of the importance of regularly checking that our smoke alarms are in working order.

The NFPA offers these key smoke alarm safety tips and guidelines:

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of your home.

• Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, particularly those with sensory or physical disabilities.

• Push the test button on each smoke alarm once a month.

• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week and smoke alarms, visit fpw.org. Additional valuable fire prevention information can be found at the association’s website at nfpa.org.