You’ve seen smoke alarms located on ceilings in homes and businesses. You know they’re important, but do you know how important they actually are? According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), “Three out of five home fire deaths result from fires in properties without working smoke alarms.”
The USFA goes on to explain how the risk of dying in a residential fire is cut in half in homes that have smoke alarms that are working. Lastly, over 38% of home fire deaths occur in residential fires where there weren’t any smoke alarms in the homes. Here’s what all homeowners and renters need to know according to the USFA:
- Every bedroom in the house should have a working smoke alarm!
- Half of the deaths from home fires occur between the hours of 11 pm and 7 am, when people are sleeping.
- Smoke alarms need to be replaced when they’re 10-years-old, or when they don’t make a sound when tested.
- Children and older adults may need someone to wake them up if a smoke alarm goes off. Be sure to have someone to wake them if a smoke alarm goes off.
- If there’s a fire in your home, go outside. Call the fire department from your cellphone or a neighbor’s phone. Do NOT go back inside until the fire department says it’s safe to do so.
It’s critical that you have enough smoke alarms, whether you have a home or a home and business. According to fire research, today’s modern furnishings tend to cause fires to spread more rapidly than in the past when furniture was manufactured with natural materials. Because of this concern, there must be adequate smoke alarms throughout a home or business so people have enough escape time in the event of a fire.
To learn more about smoke alarms from the National Fire Protection Association, click here. To have an Atlanta electrical contractor from Lightning Bug Electric install smoke alarms in your home or business, please contact us today!
Related: Preventing Electrical Fires