Almost 2,500 people die in home fires every year in the United States. Most of these people live in homes that do not have working smoke alarms. More than one-third (37 percent) of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms were present. The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms. Smoke alarms save lives.
Smoke is poison that can kill you. Keep your family safe by putting working smoke alarms in your home. Smoke alarms make a loud noise when there is smoke in your home. You should put a smoke alarm on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area, and inside every bedroom. There are many brands of smoke alarms on the market, including alarms for people who are deaf or blind. These alarms may have strobe lights that flash and/or vibrate to alert those who are unable to hear standard smoke alarms when they sound.
Have you checked your smoke alarm to make sure it’s still working? A smoke alarm with a dead or missing battery is the same as having no smoke alarm at all. Test the alarm monthly and replace the batteries at least once a year. A smoke alarm only works when it is properly installed and regularly tested.
Some fire departments will install battery-operated alarms in your home for free. Contact your local fire department’s non-emergency number for more information.
— Safety and OSHA Compliance, Employee Resource Management, 10-1-15
