Smoke alarms are a very important means of preventing home fire fatalities by providing an early warning signal so you and your family can escape. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), an estimated 385,500 fires occur in residential buildings every year resulting in 2,770 civilian deaths and 13,250 injuries. When a smoke alarm sounds, it is time for you to spring into action.
You can prevent tragedy simply by testing and maintaining your smoke alarms and practicing a fire escape plan. Make sure your home fire escape plan is up to date and everyone in the home knows what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Practice your plan often.
Visit the USFA's Focus on Fire Safety web page to watch an educational video on smoke alarms and to test your smoke alarm knowledge through an interactive quiz. You will also find links to valuable fire prevention resources available from USFA.
If you would like to have your detectors checked, call the Arvada Fire District at 303-424-3012. When the firefighters stop by, they will be able to check your existing detectors, recommend locations for future installations, install one detector per floor if a functional detector does not exist, and conduct a home safety inspection.
