This week is the 102nd celebration of Fire Prevention Week! This National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)-sponsored event is held every October, and this year runs from October 6 – 12. The 2024 Fire Prevention Week (FPW) campaign theme is “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!™“ The goal is to educate everyone about the importance of having properly functioning smoke alarms. While the focus of the campaign is on home use, many of the same principles can be applied to workplace fire detection and warning systems.
According to the NFPA’s most recent Smoke Alarms in the U.S. report, working smoke alarms reduce the risk of home fire-related fatalities by more than half (60%), while the majority of home fire deaths continues to occur in homes with no smoke alarms or non-functioning warning systems in place.
According to Lorraine Carli NFPA’s Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy, “Smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, but they have to be working in order to protect people.” Related to that, this year’s FPW campaign promotes three calls to action — install, test, and replace smoke alarms to ensure they’re operating properly.
- Install: Smoke alarms should be selected that have the label of a recognized testing laboratory that certifies products such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL). They should be on the ceiling or high wall of each bedroom or sleeping area, outside each sleeping area (e.g., hallways), and on every level of the home, including the basement. Smoke alarms in basements should be installed on the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs. Manufacturer’s instructions for the specific alarm should be followed when installing. For best protection, the NFPA recommends interconnecting all smoke alarms if possible, so that when one sounds, they all sound, although most homes don’t have this level of protection.
It’s also important to make sure that the smoke alarms selected meet the needs of all family members including those with sensory or physical disabilities. For instance, there are special alarms, such as those with strobe lights, that warn people who are hearing impaired of a possible fire when they are awake. When asleep, a pillow or bed shaker activated by the smoke alarm can be used to wake and alert them.
- Test: Smoke alarms should be tested at least once a month by pushing the test button. This is also a good practice to ensure that everyone knows the sound of the alarm which should make a loud “BEEP, BEEP, BEEP” sound. It’s important to also follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning the alarms to ensure they will operate properly when needed. According to a September, 2024 Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) report, more than half of U.S. households (61%) test their smoke alarms less frequently than recommended, and one in three (33%) never test their smoke alarms.
- Replace: Smoke alarms with long-life batteries should be replaced when they are 10 years old or stop responding when alarm chirps, this is a warning that the battery is low and that the smoke detector should be replaced right away. For smoke alarms that don’t have long-life non-replaceable batteries, the batteries should be replaced at least once a year. For these units, if the alarm chirps, only the battery needs to be changed. Manufacturer’s instructions should be followed as there are specific batteries that must be used depending on the model of the smoke alarm.
Working smoke alarms provide an early warning so people can get out quickly in the event of a fire and are a key part of a home fire escape plan. Per the NFPA, there might be as little as two minutes to get out safely once the alarm sounds, so it’s important that people know what to do when they hear one. NFPA recommends that a home fire escape plan be made and that it be practiced at least twice a year.
Additional information on installing and maintaining smoke alarms can be found on NFPA’s website. For more information on Fire Prevention Week, or for help planning for fire-related emergencies at your facility, contact us!
This blog was written by Beth Graham, Director of Quality, Research, and Training
