Smoke alarms can only help save your life if they contain a working battery.

A Sad Story

Three children, ranging in age from 8 months to seven years, died in a house fire in Brooklyn, New York. According to fire authorities the home had several smoke alarms, but the batteries had been removed from each.

Did You Know

• When you're asleep you can't smell smoke - if anything smoke will put you into a deeper sleep.
• Fire officials say that 90% of the people they find in a fire look like they're asleep, the only difference is their faces are dirty from the soot because they died from the smoke and gases.
• Most people die in the first 5 minutes of a fire.
• In a fire, heat at the floor level is 90 degrees, at head height the temperature is 600 degrees and at the ceiling the temperature is 800 degrees. Heat at over 150 degrees will knock you unconscious and kill you.
• A fire burning in a house for 1 minute grows to 3 times its original size. In 4 minutes it grows to 11 times its size, and in 6 minutes, it reaches 50 times its original size.
• Although fire departments have done a tremendous job of getting smoke alarms installed in homes across the country, it is estimated that as many as half don't work because the batteries are dead or missing.

Don't Gamble With Your Life or the Lives of Your Family

• The presence and proper maintenance of smoke alarms increases your chances of surviving a fire by 50%.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home.
• If you sleep with your bedroom door closed, install a smoke alarm in the bedroom.
• Test smoke alarms once a month, record the date and replace dead batteries.
• Keep spare batteries on hand. Warn everyone in your household to leave working batteries in smoke alarms - resist the temptation to borrow them for other purposes.
• Practice a fire-escape plan with your entire family - remember, stay low and crawl to safety.
• If you you do experience a fire, get out and stay out. Call the fire department from a neighbor's house.
• Don't leave matches and lighters lying around for little hands to find.
• If you have a question on fire safety, visit your local fire department. They will be happy to discuss fire safety with you.

All About Smoke Alarms

• Smoke alarms don't prevent fires, but they increase your chances of getting out and calling the fire department. Having working smoke alarms more than doubles your chances of surviving a fire.
• When purchasing a smoke alarm, look for one with a loud alarm, a hush feature, a UL listing, a malfunction signal, and a ten-year warranty. There are many models of smoke alarms available for the hearing impaired.
• To maintain your smoke alarms, first make sure they are working properly by testing them once a month. Also, vacuum your smoke alarms to remove any dust or cobwebs and replace alarms at least every 10 years.

The Importance of Planning Ahead

The earlier you are alerted to a fire, the more likely you are to get out in time. This is why working smoke alarms in conjunction with a family exit drill plan are vital to every household. It is especially important to practice your home fire exit drill to make sure everyone is familiar with the sound of the smoke alarm and to identify any obstacles or determine if certain family members will require special assistance. It is important to know who will or will not wake up when the smoke alarm sounds. Recent studies show that some sleeping children will not wake to the sound of the smoke alarm. If someone does not wake while practicing your drill, consider installing additional smoke alarms inside every bedroom. Also, it is a good idea to appoint an adult, who easily awakens to the sound of the smoke alarm, to wake the deep sleepers. That person could possibly pound on the walls while yelling "FIRE!" or perhaps blow a whistle. Whatever you do, it is important to have a plan established for getting all family members safely out of the home in case of fire.

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