When 91原创 firefighters roll up to a residential call and see the occupants are outside, it likely means the smoke alarms were working and did their job.
"It makes our job easier to know that everybody's accounted for," commented Township of 91原创 fire department assistant chief Ken Strand.
Strand was talking to the 91原创 Advance Times about national Fire Prevention Week, which runs this year from Sunday, Oct. 6 to Saturday, Oct 12, with the theme, "smoke alarms: make them work for you."
A Township fire department said residents could have as little as two minutes to get out safely once a smoke alarm sounds, and working smoke alarms give early warning, so people can get outside quickly.
"Our statistics provincially indicate that smoke alarms do save lives," Strand said.
It is estimated that about two thirds of home fire deaths happen in homes where there is no smoke alarm or the alarm doesn鈥檛 work.
Working smoke alarms, which detect and alert people to fire in its early stages, give them the time needed to escape safely and cut by half the chance of dying in a fire.
"[We recommend] changing batteries on a regular basis and ensuring the smoke alarms are replaced at the end of their life expectancy, which is 10 years," Strand said.
His advice is to check a smoke detector when clocks are reset for Daylight Savings Time.
"We encourage people to put it into their calendar 鈥� twice a year is what we recommend for the batteries."
Carbon monoxide (CO) alarms must be replaced every seven years.
CO, a colourless, odourless gas, can be harmful or deadly if even a small amount of it is inhaled.
Warning signs of CO poisoning include unexplained headaches, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, stumbling, and fainting. Children, elderly people, and those with chronic disease may be more susceptible to CO poisoning.
A CO and a smoke alarm make different alarm sounds. Firefighters suggest testing both monthly and making sure everyone knows the difference between the two alarm sounds.
Smoke Alarm Tips
- Install smoke alarms inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement.
- They should be installed on the ceiling or high on a wall.
- For best protection, interconnect all smoke alarms so when one sounds they all sound.
- The law requires smoke alarms be installed and landlords must ensure their property complies.
- Smoke alarms should be tested monthly using the test button.
Carbon Monoxide Alarm Tips
- Install CO alarms where you can hear them while sleeping, near bedrooms on each floor of the home.
- Place the alarm at least 4.5 meters away from sources of heat or humidity such as furnaces and vents, bathrooms, and cooking appliances.
- To prevent false alarms, don鈥檛 install the alarm in an attached garage or carport or near the door from the house to the garage.
- Test your CO alarm at least twice a year.
- Replace the batteries annually.
in Canada was first proclaimed by the Governor-General in 1923.
It is observed internationally in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on Oct. 8, 1871. It killed 250 people, left 100,000 people homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.
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