By Marcelle Ried
Working smoke alarms can make a lifesaving difference in a fire.
That's the message behind this year's Fire Prevention Week campaign: Working Smoke Alarms Saves Lives: Test Yours Every Month!
Along with firefighters and safety advocates nationwide, 108 Volunteer Fire Department is joining forces with the non-profit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) during Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 5-11, to remind local residents about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home and testing them monthly.
According to the latest NFPA research, working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire in half. Meanwhile, almost two-thirds of home-fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
In a fire, seconds count. Roughly half of home-fire deaths result from fires reported at night between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most people are asleep. Home smoke alarms can alert people to a fire before it spreads, giving everyone enough time to get out.
This year's Fire Prevention Week campaign includes the following smoke alarm messages:
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the
home, including the basement.
• Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. This way, when one sounds, they all do.
• Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.
• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old, or sooner if they don't respond properly.
• Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm and understand what to do
when they hear it.
To learn more about smoke alarms and "Working Smoke Alarms Saves Lives," visit NFPA's website at www.firepreventionweek.org.
Marcelle Ried is the fire chief of the 108 Mile Volunteer Fire Department.