Smoke alarm maintenance comes with Fire Prevention Week

The sound of a smoke alarm may be annoying when it comes after burnt toast, but it's a simple, life-saving device that should be in every home.

That's the message the Cheney Fire Department is sending Oct. 3-9, Fire Prevention Week, in partnership with the National Fire Protection Association. The campaign's theme is “Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With.”

Cheney Fire Chief Mike Winters said that the Fire Department has seen abundant evidence of inadequate smoke detectors in Cheney at fire scenes, on EMS calls, and during walk-throughs.

“We want residents to understand that working smoke alarms are needed in every home, on every level (including the basement), outside each sleeping area and inside each bedroom,” Winters said. “And, if a smoke alarm is 10 years old or older, it needs to be replaced.”

According to the NFPA, statistics show that working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire nearly in half. But the association's data also shows that many homes have smoke alarms that aren't working or maintained properly, usually because of missing, disconnected or dead batteries. They said roughly two-thirds of all home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

As part of Fire Prevention Week, the Cheney Fire Department offered the following tips for making sure smoke alarms are maintained and working properly:

•Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button, and make sure everyone in your home knows their sound.

•If an alarm “chirps,” warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.

•Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they're 10 years old (or sooner) if they do not respond properly when tested.

•Never remove or disable a smoke alarm.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week and proper smoke alarm installation and maintenance, visit http://www.firepreventionweek.org.