Smoke Alarm Safety - Central County Fire & Rescue

Smoke Alarm Safety

Fire Prevention Month

Hear the Beep Where You Sleep. Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm.

Smoke alarms save lives by giving people an opportunity to escape a fire before it is too late. Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Top 3 Smoke Alarm Tips

  • Test once a month
  • Replace batteries every six months
  • Replace alarms every ten years

 

Installation

Install smoke alarms:

  • On every level of your home
  • Inside and outside sleeping areas
  • High on a wall, or on the ceiling
  • Away from air vents and windows
  • At the highest point of pitched ceilings

 

Battery Replacement

  • Standard battery operated smoke alarm batteries need to be replaced every six months.
  • Long lasting battery smoke alarms should be replaced according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Hard-wired smoke alarms should have the back-up battery replaced once a year.

False Alarms

  • Never disable a smoke alarm during cooking or other activities. If the smoke alarm falsely alerts clear the air by waving a towel near the alarm, but do not remove the batteries. Many newer smoke alarms have a hush button that can be pressed to silence the false alarm.
  • Using an ionization alarm near the kitchen, but at least 10 feet away from cooking appliances, may help reduce the amount of false alarms.
  • If an alarm has frequent false alarms replace the unit.

Chirping

If your smoke alarm begins chirping do not ignore it or take out the battery. Replace the battery immediately to ensure proper smoke alarm function.

Hearing Impaired Units

Special units that use a strobe light, and shake a bed or pillow can wake-up and alert those who are hearing impaired or deaf.

New Construction

CCFR recommends installing a home sprinkler system when building or remodeling a home.
Installing interconnected smoke alarms where every alarm sounds regardless of the fire’s location will increase the amount of time to escape the fire.

 

Click here to download a smoke alarm brochure.