Smoke alarms – protecting your home and your life

Nothing is more important than your family and your home.

One of the great strides that has taken place in the past 30 years that helps protect has been the development and improvement of smoke alarms. A smoke alarm is an essential early home-warning system that has been invaluable in the protection of people and property.

I hunt and fish with a retired firefighter from the city of Sheboygan who worked before and after the introduction of smoke alarms. He reports that not only do the alarms provide early warnings of fires, they save lives, property – and they even cut down the number of calls to firefighters. With active alarms in place, homeowners could and did respond to the first sign of smoke, thus preventing fires from spreading. The decrease of fire calls allowed more time for firefighters to do preventive and inspection work with the local business community.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), by 1991 some 88 percent of U.S. homes had at least one smoke alarm that could be purchased for as little as $10. They also report that when smoke alarms are present, the chance of someone dying from a fire is cut in half. FEMA reports that more than half of all fires occur in the 12 percent of homes without fire alarms; and they estimate that a third of the smoke alarms in place are not working – often due to failure to replace a worn-out battery.

Lastly, FEMA suggests that far too many homes do not have as many smoke alarms as are needed.

How many alarms should your home have? Alarms should be located between any sleeping person and the rest of the house. In multi-story homes, fires on a floor level without a smoke alarm can grow to dangerous conditions before sufficient smoke can rise up a stairway to set off an alarm on the upper floor level.

A closed door provides protection from smoke on the other side, but can also prevent smoke from reaching a smoke alarm. This is particularly a problem in bedrooms. If you sleep with your bedroom door closed, you should add a smoke alarm in the bedroom, particularly if you smoke in the bedroom (which no one should ever do, but some will) or if there is a TV, air conditioner, or other major appliance in the bedroom that might start a fire.

There are a few places where smoke alarms should not be placed. These include kitchens, garages or where heat or cold could affect the electronics of the alarm.

Smoke alarms should be tested at least once a month. All smoke alarms have a test button that, when pressed, will check out the entire alarm, including its sensitivity. If it does not respond properly, it needs to be replaced.

There are specialty smoke alarms that people with disabilities can easily check with a flashlight or one that activates on the same day and time once a week.

FEMA says smoke alarms have a useful life of about 10 years and at that age they should be replaced, even if they seem to be working. This will assure that the alarm will be working when you need it.

FEMA also points out that although prices of today’s smoke alarms are lower than you might have paid some years ago, today’s alarms are more reliable. Thus, it is usually a good idea to replace an old alarm.

This is a cold period of the year when we likely will spend more time inside. And, we all want to ensure that our home and family are protected. Checking, replacing or adding a couple of smoke alarms is a project worth considering. It could be the best investment you ever made.