An average of 3,000 people perishes every year in the United States from the effects of a residential fire. That is a tragic number of lives lost. What is even more tragic is that many of those lives could’ve been saved if the home had properly functioning smoke detectors. We can see what a vital role smoke detectors as well as carbon monoxide alarms play when it comes to fire safety. What, then, are some factors to consider with regard to smoke detectors in your home?
Depending on the size of the home, there should be multiple smoke detectors around the house. There should be at least one fitted on every occupied floor and not forgetting the basement and garage as these areas tend to be used for storing more flammable items. If possible, it’s a good idea to have one in each bedroom as well.
It is important for every member of the household to be aware of what they should do in the event of a fire. A time when the household is most at risk, is at night, when everyone is asleep. Why not periodically perform a nighttime fire drill? Test the smoke detectors to see if they are effective at waking everyone up, particularly children, then educate them on what they would do next. The smoke detectors need to be loud enough to wake the homes occupants up and have a sound which is distinguishable from any other heard in the home.
Once a month, have a check of all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms in the house and test them to ensure they are still working well. Check the batteries are not in need of replacing.
Another word of caution: NEVER disconnect a smoke alarm. They can be rather sensitive and go off at the slightest thing which may make us want to disconnect it but remembering to reconnect it afterwards is not something we always do.
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