Why are Smoke Alarms Important?
One of the most important tools to help survive a fire in the home is a working smoke alarm. Since it’s estimated that more than half of residential fire fatalities happen in homes where there is no smoke alarm, this program is more important than ever. Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms provide early warning of a fire and allow occupants precious time to escape a burning building. Having a working smoke alarm more than doubles your chances of surviving a fire. Take action today to keep your family safe.
Did you know…
Forty years ago, you had about 17 minutes to escape a fire. Today it takes less than 3 minutes to escape and 5 minutes for a fire to completely engulf most homes. There is not much time to decide what to do. Fire waits for no man. It is critical to make a plan in advance. Hesitation could mean the difference between life and death.
Smoke alarms that are more than 10 years old need to be replaced. Older smoke alarms are unreliable and often are the cause of nuisance alarms.
Practice Getting Out…
Fire drills aren’t just for schools, practice your escape plan at home, too. Develop an escape plan with two ways out of every room, then practice monthly so everyone knows what to do when the smoke alarm sounds.
Helpful Resources:
Close the door and better your chances! A closed door could buy you time in a fire, and that’s not all…
A closed door can hold back fire’s heat. In tests, an open door room reached dangerous temperatures while a closed door room stayed under 100° F.
A closed door can help slow fire’s spread and keep dangerous smoke away from you.
Because of the plastics in most modern furniture and household items, fire is more toxic and much faster than ever before.
A fire needs heat, fuel and oxygen to exist. Closing the door when exiting a burning structure can cut off the oxygen and stop the growth of fire.
