HEREFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT

Serving Hereford Texas and Deaf Smith County Since 1908
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Things to Think About
 
 
Smoke Alarms
 
 Smoke alarms play a vital role in reducing deaths and injuries from fire and have contributed to the almost 50% decrease in fire deaths since the late 1970s. It is estimated that 95% of U.S homes have at least one smoke alarm. Sixty-five percent of reported home fire deaths occurred in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms save lives and protect against injury and loss due to fire.
 
 
Facts & figures

       - A 2004 telephone survey found that 96% of U.S. households had at least one smoke alarm, yet in 2000-2004, no smoke alarms were present or none operated in almost half (46%) of the reported home fires. 
       - An estimated 890 lives could be saved each year if all homes had working smoke alarms.
65% of reported home fire deaths in 2000-2004 resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
       - The fire death rate in homes with working smoke alarms is 51% less than the rate for homes without this protection.
       - In one out of every five homes equipped with at least one smoke alarm installed, not a single one was working.
       - Why do smoke alarms fail? Most often because of missing, disconnected or dead batteries. Nuisance activations were the leading cause of disabled smoke alarms.  


-Test your smoke alarms once a month, following the manufacturer's instructions.

-Replace the batteries in your smoke alarm once a year, or as soon as the alarm "chirps" warning that the battery is low. Hint: schedule battery replacements for the same day you change your clocks from daylight savings time to standard time in the fall.

-Never "borrow" a battery from a smoke alarm. Smoke alarms can't warn you of fire if their batteries are missing or have been disconnected.

-Don't disable smoke alarms even temporarily. If your smoke alarm is sounding "nuisance alarms," try relocating it farther from kitchens or bathrooms, where cooking fumes and steam can cause the alarm to sound.
-Regularly vacuuming or dusting your smoke alarms, following the manufacturer's instructions, can keep them working properly.

-Smoke alarms don't last forever. Replace yours once every 10 years. If you can't remember how old the alarm is, then it's probably time for a new one.

-Those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing cannot depend on the sound of the regular alarm to alert them to a fire.

-Consider installing smoke alarms with "long-life" (10-year) batteries.

-Plan regular fire drills to ensure that everyone knows exactly what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Hold a drill at night to make sure that sleeping family members awaken at the sound of the alarm. Some studies have shown that some children may not awaken to the sound of the smoke alarm. Know what your child will do before a fire occurs.

-If you are building a new home or remodeling your existing home, consider installing an automatic home fire sprinkler system.

-Sprinklers and smoke alarms together cut your risk of dying in a home fire 82 percent relative to having neither – a savings of thousands of lives a year.