A Properly Functioning Smoke Alarm May Save You and Your Family's Life
Properly functioning smoke alarms play a vital role in reducing deaths and injuries from fire. Sixty-five percent (65%) of reported home fire deaths occurred in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
Although new homes must conform to current building, fire, and life safety codes, it is recommended that all homes have smoke alarms installed in the following locations:
1. In each sleeping area.
2. Outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms.
3. On each additional story of the home, including the basement.
Remember, you are more than twice as likely to die in a fire in your home that does not have properly installed and working smoke alarms.
What Types of Smoke Alarms Are Available?
There are many different brands of smoke alarms available; however, the fall under two types: ionization and photoelectric. Ionization and photoelectric smoke detectors sense the presence of smoke differently.
The type of smoke produced by a fire depends strongly on the type of fire. Flaming fires produce a different type of smoke than do smoldering fires.
Both types of smoke alarms will detect the smoke from either a smoldering fire or a flaming fire. It has been factually established and well known for many years that ionization type smoke alarms tend to respond faster to the smoke produced by flaming fires than photoelectric type smoke alarms, and photoelectric type smoke alarms tend to respond faster to the smoke produced by smoldering fires than ionization type smoke alarms.
In some test cases, the difference in the time to alarm between ionization and photoelectric type smoke alarms has been trivial; however, in other tests, the difference in response time has been found to be considerable.
Where Do I Get Smoke Alarms?
Most hardware, home supply, or general merchandise stores carry smoke alarms. If you are unsure where to buy one in your community, call your local fire department and fire/rescue personnel will provide you with some suggestions.
If you can not afford smoke alarms, the local fire department will be able to install them for you at no cost.
If you are hearing impaired, we now have strobe smoke alarms available on a first come/first serve basis that will be provided free of charge to those in need. Please call the Smoke Alarm Hotline at 301-600-Smoke Alarms Save Lives (301-600-7275) for details, or send an email to .
Where Do I Install Smoke Alarms?
Smoke alarms must be installed on every level of your home, including the basement.
Smoke alarms should be installed both INSIDE and OUTSIDE of your sleeping areas.
Since smoke and many deadly gases rise, installing your smoke alarms at the proper level will provide you with the earliest warning possible. Always follow the manufacturer's installation instructions.
How Do I Keep My Smoke Alarm Working?
If you have a smoke alarm with Batteries:
Smoke alarms powered by long-lasting batteries are designed to replace the entire unit according to the manufacturer's instructions.
In standard type battery-powered smoke alarms, the batteries need to be replaced twice a year and the whole unit replaced every 8-10 years.
In hard-wired, battery back-up alarms, the batteries need to be checked monthly and replaced at least twice a year. The entire unit should be replaced every 8-10 years.
The easiest way to remember to change your batteries is to replace them when you change your clocks to and from daylight savings time.
What if the Alarm Goes Off While I'm Cooking?
DO NOT REMOVE OR DISABLE THE ALARM! The alarm is working properly and you may not remember to reconnect the smoke alarm.
Instead, clear the air by waving a towel or other item near the alarm, leaving the batteries in places and wires connected.
