MEDIA RELEASE
Fire Prevention Week is October 9 – 15, 2016 and the theme of Fire Prevention Week this year is, “Don’t Wait, Check the Date” of your smoke alarms.
Most of us pay attention to expiration dates on food and medical prescriptions, but have you ever considered the expiration date of a smoke alarm? Yes, these potentially life-saving devices have a lifespan and expire after about 10 years of service.
If you neglect replacing your expired alarms, you could be putting yourself and your family at risk.
The fact is, even if you have smoke alarms installed at home, you and your family may not be sufficiently protected if you haven’t maintained them. You may have just seconds to safely escape a fire in your home. That’s why early detection of fire is absolutely vital. Only working smoke alarms provide those precious seconds you and your family need to escape safely.
“Many fatal fires occur at night when everyone is asleep, so early warning is crucial to survival,” says Fire Chief Stephen Hernen. “In a fire, seconds count; working smoke alarms can alert a person to a fire before it spreads, giving everyone enough time to get out.”
According to the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management, Ontario, in 36% of residential fires where there was a fatality there was no smoke alarm warning. (In 14% there was no smoke alarm, and in 22% the smoke alarm did not operate.)
Some tips to keep in mind:
Smoke Alarm Maintenance
To ensure that alarms are functioning properly, we recommend testing devices monthly. If you cannot recall when your alarms were installed, it’s best to be safe and replace the units. When replacing smoke alarms, consider purchasing a 10-year sealed lithium battery smoke alarm. The battery lasts for 10 years and you never have to worry about changing batteries. To find out how old your smoke alarm is and its expiration date, simply look on the back of the alarm where the date of manufacture is marked. The smoke alarm should be replaced 10 years from that date (not the date of purchase).
Smoke Alarm Placement
Smoke alarms are required on every storey of your home and outside all sleeping areas. To ensure the highest level of protection from smoke and fire, install smoke alarms in every bedroom or sleeping area and on every level of the home, including basements. So, an average two-storey, three-bedroom house would need a minimum of four smoke alarms.
Smoke Alarm Types
If your home is in need of new smoke alarms, there is a wide selection of options and features from which to choose, ranging from combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to smoke alarms with escape lights. Alarms that feature a 10-year sealed lithium battery provide up to 10 years of continuous service, so there is no need to replace batteries for the life of the alarm. This technology provides an increased level of safety.
For more information about smoke alarms, visit www.huntsville.ca or the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management’s website at www.ontario.ca/firemarshal.
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