According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and National Fire Protection Association, smoke detectors should be tested every month.
Don’t procrastinate, it could cost you your home or worse – your life!
Oftentimes, smoke detectors are installed but not properly maintained. Three of every five deaths resulted in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. No smoke alarms were present in more than one-third (37%) of the home fire deaths. The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Whether your smoke detector is battery operated or hard-wired, it must be checked monthly. Hard-wired smoke detectors have a battery backup in case of a power outage. The life expectancy of a smoke detector is 10 years and it is recommended that it be replaced after 10 years or earlier if recommended by the manufacturer.
Please take a moment to ensure that you have a smoke detector on every floor, in every bedroom and in rooms with heavy electrical equipment such as ACs and TVs as well as in corridors outside of each sleeping area Smoke detectors should not be installed in kitchens and garages since the alarms have a high probability of sounding a false alarm from cooking or car emission.
Seriously, people! Smoke detectors or the batteries can cost less than $10! You have no excuses to save a life!
Some fire departments will install battery-operated smoke alarms in your home at no cost. Contact your local fire department’s non-emergency phone number for more information.
For additional information please go to the website for the National Fire Protection Association or the U.S. Fire Administration website at: