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Working and properly maintained smoke alarms are the most important pieces of electronic equipment in your home. Only smoke alarms are able to save your life in the event of a fire.
During the growth period, a fire can double in size every 30 seconds. Obviously, a fire can grow out of control and become a tragedy long before your senses will wake you. Only properly maintained smoke alarms will have the ability to sense a fire early enough to wake you and get you out of the house safely.
At a bare minimum, smoke alarms should be installed on every floor in your house and outside of every bedroom. However, keep in mind that if you sleep with your bedroom door shut, you should have one in your bedroom as well. In fact, studies have shown that children and the elderly often sleep right through the shriek of a smoke alarm. The best idea is to place smoke alarms in the furnace room, work shop areas, each bedroom, the kitchen and all living areas.
There are new “wireless” smoke detectors on the market. If one unit goes into alarm, it sends a signal to the others and all units will alarm. If a fire starts in the basement, the unit in your bedroom will also alarm. This provides the earliest possible warning of a fire.
Install units in the center of the ceiling or on the wall at least 10 inches from the ceiling. Ceiling units installed too close to a corner or wall units installed too close to the ceiling may develop air pockets. These pockets may delay the unit’s ability to sense a fire.
It is important to test your smoke detector at least once per month. Each unit will have a button to push that will set the unit into alarm. If the unit does not alarm when tested, replace the batteries or replace the unit for safety. Replace the batteries at least once per year. A good rule of thumb is to replace them during the spring or fall time change.
Never remove batteries for any reason. Far too often, batteries are “borrowed” for other electronic devices. Or batteries are removed due to nuisance alarms near the kitchen or bathroom. Units without batteries cannot save your life.
Finally, develop an escape plan and practice it twice per year. It is important to teach your children to stay low to the floor, check doors for heat before opening and, once outside, go to a meeting place. Children often become scared and hide when a smoke detector alarms. By practicing an escape plan, all members of your family will have the best possible chance of getting out safely. Please be sure to teach your children to get out and stay out.
Chris Ward is a firefighter with the Onalaska Fire Department.
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