This year the Fire Prevention Week campaign "Hear
the Beep Where You Sleep" takes aim at ensuring every room used for
sleeping in your home has a working smoke alarm. In fact, working smoke alarms
cut the risk of dying in home fires in half! Home fires in the United States continue to claim many
lives each year. In fact, 85 percent of all fire deaths occur in the home, and
the majority happen at night when most people are sleeping. Most people think
they have at least 6 minutes before a fire in their home would become life
threatening. The time available is often less. Data indicates that a typical
living room fire can become deadly in only two minutes or less. Smoke alarms are an important first line of defense against
fire. But if they don't work, they can't protect you. It is essential for every
household to have working smoke alarms. Data indicates that 40 percent of home
fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms and another 23 percent happen
in homes with smoke alarms that don't work. When smoke alarms fail to sound
(beep), it's usually because they have missing, dead, or disconnected
batteries. The Division of the Fire Marshal, Office of Research
Services is strongly urging the NIH community to ensure their homes, sleeping
rooms and loved ones are adequately protected by using battery operated smoke
alarms in their residences. Most fatal home fires begin in one room and then kill
people elsewhere in the house. This occurs after the fire has reached extremely
high temperatures in the room where it began and then smoke and toxic gases
migrate to other areas. These fires are readily detected by all common types of
smoke detectors in time for sleeping occupants to awaken and safely escape. Smoke alarms are not created equally. Hard-wired smoke
alarms will not work during a power outage, unless they are equipped with a
battery back-up and many are not so equipped. Homeowners are strongly urged to
install battery operated smoke alarms in order to provide maximum protection
when power is interrupted, a common occurrence during thunderstorms and heavy
snow storms. Smoke alarms must be properly located, installed and
maintained in order to be effective. To afford adequate protection, smoke
alarms must be: (1) located on each level of the dwelling unit, including
basements; (2) located in all sleeping rooms and outside of each separate
sleeping area, in the immediate vicinity of the sleeping rooms; (3) installed
properly and in working condition; and (4) tested at least once a month by
pushing the "test button." Batteries should be routinely replaced
twice a year. Smoke alarms generally have a useful life expectancy of
10 years. It's wise to check the date of manufacture for your smoke alarms and
replace them as you deem appropriate. Remember, at the first sound of the alarm, all occupants
should evacuate, call the fire department from a phone away from the house and
remain out of the house until the responding firefighters allow reentry. If you
experience a fire in your home, and your house contains properly installed and
maintained smoke alarms, the chances of serious injury or death are
significantly reduced. Working smoke alarms save lives! Test yours every month! If you have any questions regarding residential smoke
alarms, including detailed advice on their proper placement in your home,
please contact the Division of the Fire Marshal, Office of Research Services at
301-496-0487.
