Smoke Alarms
Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Alarms Save Lives When Installed Properly
We know that smoke alarms play a crucial role in keeping us safe, and we encourage you to help protect your family and home by ensuring smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are installed correctly. Taking these simple steps can make a big difference in keeping your loved ones safe.
The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms. (NFPA)
- Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home. Install alarms in the basement. Do not put smoke alarms in your kitchen or bathrooms.
- It is best to use interconnected smoke alarms so that when one smoke alarm sounds, they all sound.
- Test all smoke alarms at least once a month and replace the batteries when you hear the alarm "chirp". Replace the entire alarm after 10 years.
- People who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can use special alarms to alert them. These include alarms with strobe lights and bed shakers that can be purchased online or any hardware store.
Read More On Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Frequently Asked Questions
Smoke alarms should be tested at least once a month. You can accomplish this by pushing the "test" button.
If you hear a short "chirp" noise periodically, this means your smoke alarm needs a new battery or may need to be completely replaced. Smoke alarms expire 10 years after their manufacture date, NOT from when you installed them. Their expiration date can be found on the side or bottom of the alarm.
To review the Sounds of Fire Safety, click here to watch a video from the NFPA!
Yes. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas you cannot see, taste, or smell. It is often called "the invisible killer." CO poisoning can result from gas-, gasoline-, and diesel-fueled vehicles idling inside garages or malfunctioning or improperly vented water heaters, clothes dryers, furnaces, gas fireplaces, and portable generators.
Review the sounds a CO Alarm makes by watching this Video: Click here
Symptoms of CO Poisoning: Headache, nausea, and drowsiness.
Install CO alarms outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. Test every month. Use an alarm that is listed by a qualified testing laboratory.
Smoke alarms with strobe lights can be purchased for individuals who are hearing impaired (BRK/First Alert, Gentex, and Kidde brands offer this type of smoke alarm). When people who are hard of hearing are asleep, an alert device that uses a loud, mixed, low-pitched sound can wake them. They may also find a bed shaker helpful. These devices are triggered by the sound of the smoke alarm. Do additional research to figure out which device would be most helpful for you and your family.
Watch this video to get started on your research: Smoke alarms for those who are deaf or hard of hearing
For additional information about Preparing for Emergencies for people with Disabilities, please follow this link to the Red Cross: Inclusive Preparedness Resources
If you are in need of a bed shaker device, please email us at ReducingRisk@southmetro.org.
The South Metro Risk Reduction Team is committed to providing safety devices to those who need them most. If you cannot afford smoke alarms or bed shaker/strobe lights devices, please reach out to our Community Risk Reduction Team to assist you on our Contact Us page. We can provide these for you for free.