Fire Prevention Week 2015: October 4th – October 10th

10/9/2015 (Permalink)

Source - http://files.esfi.org/file/Fire-Prevention-Week-2015-0E9E.pdf

Every year, the National Fire Protection Association sponsors fire prevention week where they pick a topic about fire safety to share with communities. This year, the topic chosen was “Hear the Beep Where you Sleep” to show everyone the importance of having smoke alarms installed in every bedroom of the home. According to the NFPA, roughly half of home fire deaths that occur happen from fires that occur between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., when most people are sound asleep.

Smoke alarm safety tips 

·      Choose smoke alarms that have the label showing that they’ve been tested in a testing laboratory.

·      Install smoke alarms in each bedroom, outside of every sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. Basement smoke alarms should be installed on the ceiling right at the bottom of the stairway.

·      On main levels, (such as where the living room or dining room is) install smoke alarms in the main rooms and right where the entrance of the stairway leads to a different level of the home.

·      Smoke alarms should be installed at least ten feet from a cooking appliance.

·      Mount smoke alarms high on walls or ceilings. If mounted on the wall, they should not be more than 12 inches from the ceiling.

·      Interconnect all smoke alarms, so if one goes off, they all go off in the home. This will ensure that no matter where you are located in the house, you will be aware of the house fire. Make sure that all smoke alarms are from the same manufacturer and compatible.

·      Remember to always test smoke alarms at least once a month, replace batteries when necessary and make sure to replace the smoke alarms when needed or stated by manufacturer.

Source - http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/fire-and-safety-equipment/smoke-alarms/installing-and-maintaining-smoke-alarms