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| Fire Rescue
Smoke
Alarms
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Smoke alarms aren't new.
The technology has been around since the 1960s. The
single-station, battery-powered smoke alarm, similar
to the one we know today, became available to consumers
in the 1970s. NFPA estimates that 93% of U.S. homes
have at least one smoke alarm. They save so many lives
that most states have laws requiring them in residential
dwellings. So, why is all the attention being paid to
smoke alarms this Fire Prevention Week?
Still a Major Problem
Although 13 of every 14 homes have at least one smoke
alarm, almost half of home fires and three-fifths of
fire deaths occur in the share of homes with no alarms.
Thousands of people still die each year in home fires
where smoke alarms aren't present.
In addition, there are now more homes with smoke alarms
that don't work than homes without alarms at all. These
poorly maintained units create a false sense of security
among occupants. Approximately one-third of homes with
smoke alarms that experience fires have smoke alarms
that aren't working, and hundreds of people die each
year in these fires.
Tragically, the grave importance of installing and maintaining
smoke alarms has not yet been fully realized. Most people
who die in home fires are not in the room where the
fire starts; working smoke alarms alert people to fire
and give them time to escape in a situation where minutes
can mean the difference between life and death.
Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives
Having a smoke alarm cuts your chance of dying nearly
in half if you have a home fire. By properly placing,
regularly testing and maintaining your alarms, you can
ensure that they are in fact working and will alert
you if a fire breaks out. Make sure you buy only those
alarms that bear the mark of an independent testing
laboratory. Some alarms operate using an "ionization"
sensor while others use a "photoelectric"
sensor. An ionization alarm uses an extremely small
quantity of radioactive material to make the air in
the alarm chamber conduct electricity. Smoke from a
fire interferes with the electrical current and triggers
the alarm. A photoelectric alarm uses a tiny light source
shining on a light sensitive sensor. The alarm is triggered
when smoke from a fire interferes with the light. All
tested and labeled smoke alarms offer adequate protection
if they are properly installed and maintained.
Make Placement a Priority
A recent NFPA report on smoke alarms found that there
is a substantial number of households that do not have
the devices on every level of the home, as needed. The
majority of fire deaths occur at night when people are
asleep. NFPA's National Fire Alarm Code (NFPA 72) says
homes must have smoke alarms on every level of the home
-- including the basement -- and outside each sleeping
area. New homes are required to have a smoke alarm in
each sleeping area as well.
To slow the spread of smoke and fumes if a fire develops,
NFPA suggests that you sleep with your bedroom doors
closed. If you sleep with your bedroom doors closed,
install a smoke alarm inside each bedroom. Alarms should
also be installed in other areas of your home where
people sleep. In new homes, the National Fire Alarm
Code requires hard-wired alarms to be interconnected,
so that if one alarm is activated, all alarms will sound
the alarm signal. On floors without bedrooms, smoke
alarms should be installed in or near living areas,
such as family rooms and living rooms.
Alarms that are hard-wired into the home electrical
system should be installed by a qualified electrician.
If your alarm plugs into a wall socket, make sure it
has a restraining device to keep its plug from being
pulled out. Never connect a alarm to a circuit that
could be turned off at a wall switch. Most alarms are
battery-powered and can be installed with a screwdriver
and drill and by following the manufacturer's instructions.
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