|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||
|
 |
The following information is provided by the United States Fire Administration
Information about Smoke Alarms Smoke
alarms have been around since the 1960s. The single-station,
battery-powered smoke alarm, similar to the one we know today,
became available to consumers in the 1970s. Approximately 93% of
U.S. homes have at least one smoke alarm. Most states have laws
requiring them in residential dwellings
Many homes still need detectors
Thousands of people die each year in home fires
where smoke alarms aren't present. More homes have smoke
alarms that don't work than homes without alarms at all.
Poorly maintained units create a false sense of security among
occupants. Approximately one-third of homes with smoke alarms that
experience fires have smoke alarms that aren't working, and hundreds
of people die each year in these fires.
Tragically, the grave importance of installing and maintaining
smoke alarms has not yet been fully realized. Most people who die in
home fires are not in the room where the fire starts; working smoke
alarms alert people to fire and give them time to escape in a
situation where minutes can mean the difference between life and
death.
Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives
Having a smoke alarm cuts your chance of dying
nearly in half if you have a home fire. By properly placing,
regularly testing and maintaining your alarms, you can ensure that
they are in fact working and will alert you if a fire breaks out.
Make sure you buy only those alarms that bear the mark of an
independent testing laboratory. Some alarms operate using an
"ionization" sensor while others use a
"photoelectric" sensor. An ionization alarm uses an
extremely small quantity of radioactive material to make the air in
the alarm chamber conduct electricity. Smoke from a fire interferes
with the electrical current and triggers the alarm. A photoelectric
alarm uses a tiny light source shining on a light sensitive sensor.
The alarm is triggered when smoke from a fire interferes with the
light. All tested and labeled smoke alarms offer adequate protection
if they are properly installed and maintained.
Make Placement a Priority
Homes should have a working smoke detector on each
level of the home outside of every sleeping area. New homes are
required to have a smoke alarm in each sleeping area as well.
To slow the spread of smoke and fumes if a fire develops, you
should sleep with your bedroom doors closed. If you sleep with your
bedroom doors closed, a smoke alarm should be installed inside each
bedroom. Alarms should also be installed in other areas of your home
where people sleep. On floors without bedrooms, smoke alarms should
be installed near living areas. In new homes, alarms should be
hard-wired into the home electrical system and interconnected, so
that if one alarm is activated, all alarms will sound the alarm
signal.
If your alarm plugs into a wall socket, make sure it has a
restraining device to keep its plug from being pulled out. Never
connect an alarm to a circuit that could be turned off at a wall
switch. Most alarms are battery-powered and can be installed with a
screwdriver and drill and by following the manufacturer's
instructions.
Proper placement of detectors is important
Since smoke and deadly gases rise, alarms should be
placed on the ceiling at least 4 inches from the nearest wall, or
high on a wall, 4-12 inches from the ceiling. This 4-inch minimum is
important to keep alarms out of possible "dead air"
spaces, because hot air is turbulent and may bounce so much it may
miss spots near a surface. Installing alarms near a window, door or
fireplace is not recommended because drafts could detour smoke away
from the unit. In rooms where the ceiling has an extremely high
point, such as in vaulted ceilings, mount the alarm at or near the
ceiling's highest point.
Maintenance is a Must
Smoke alarms that don't work are no good at all!
That's why it is so important that you keep your smoke alarms in
good shape. You can maintain your smoke alarms by:
Dealing
with Nuisance Alarms
Regularly cleaning your smoke alarms and following
the manufacturer's instructions may help stop "nuisance"
or false alarms. If this doesn't stop them, install a fresh battery
in the alarms giving nuisance alarms. Evaluate where your alarms are
placed if the problem still persists. Cooking vapors and steam can
set off a smoke alarm. If the alarm is near the kitchen or bathroom,
try moving it farther away. If nuisance alarms continue, install a
new smoke alarm. An increase in dust in the area due to
construction, etc. can also lead to nuisance alarms.
No
Substitute for Smoke Alarms
Fire protection in the home must start with smoke
alarms. There are many other kinds of alarms, which may be designed
to detect such factors as high temperatures, rapid changes in
temperature, and certain gases produced in fires. However, these
alarms are not as effective as smoke alarms in giving the first
warning when a fire breaks out. Tests performed on the speed
of warning given by smoke alarms and heat alarms for many types of
typical home fires showed smoke alarms consistently give first
warning -- often by enough of a margin to make a major difference in
your chances of escaping alive. Smoke and deadly gasses spread
farther and faster than heat.
Contrary to popular belief, the smell of smoke may not wake a
sleeping person. Instead, the poisonous gases and smoke produced by
a fire can numb the senses and put one into a deeper sleep.
Smoke Alarms Are Cost-Effective
A battery-operated smoke alarm for the home retails
for less than $10. Smoke alarms with extra features can cost up to
$25. A smoke alarm for a typical hard-wired system costs $14 - 18.
Smoke alarms for people with hearing impairments cost approximately
$100 each. Batteries cost $1 to $2, depending on the brand. In
1994, home fires caused $481,000 in damage every hour.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
Sun Lakes Fire District |
||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
