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Change the clocks – Change the batteries
As the U.S. Fire Administration kicks off their Public Fire Safety Campaign, it seems an apt time to remind everyone to replace batteries in smoke detectors. We’ve all heard the “change the clocks, change the batteries” saying. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, when both smoke alarms and fire sprinklers are present in a home, the risk of dying in a fire is reduced by 82 percent, when compared to a residence without either.
The USFA offers a few helpful tips on smoke alarms and sprinklers:
• Place properly installed and maintained smoke alarms both inside and outside of sleeping areas and on every level of your home.
• Interconnected smoke alarms are best, because if one sounds, they all sound.
• The U.S. Fire Administration recommends that every residence and place where people sleep be equipped with both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms or dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors.
• Test smoke alarms monthly and change alkaline batteries at least once every year, or as instructed by the manufacturer. You can use a date you already know, like your birthday or when you change your clocks as a reminder.
• If possible, install residential fire sprinklers in your home.
• Avoid painting or covering the fire sprinkler, because that will affect the sensitivity to heat.
So while you are running around on a sugar high this weekend, please take the time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors.
It’s also a great time for a conversation with your family about what to do if a fire occurs in the house. See my earlier blog post called We meet at the mailbox. Where do you meet?
Tags: fire