Fire Prevention Tips

Greater than half of all fatal house fires occur while people sleep.  Are your smoke detectors operative?  There should be at least one smoke detector for each level of your home (including attic and basement).

When installing smoke detectors, put one both inside and outside all sleeping areas.

If they are hard wired, you need to have a qualified electrician do the initial installation or replacements.

Read the manufacturer's installation instructions.  Battery powered smoke detectors usually need to be replaced once a year.  The unit should be replaced every 8-10 years.

If your home's smoke detectors are powered by electricity, have at least one battery powered detector in case of power outage.

Test smoke detectors monthly.

If you have children, test alarms while they are asleep to make sure they will wake them up.

For more information, visit the USFA website at www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens.