By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA®) announced “Smoke alarms: make them work for you” as the official theme for Fire Prevention Week, October 6th –12th , 2024
This year’s focus on working smoke alarms comes in response to NFPA data, which shows that the majority of U.S. home fire deaths continue to occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
Smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, but they have to be working in order to deliver the needed protection. This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign reinforces the critical importance of smoke alarms and what’s needed to install, test, and maintain them properly.
Having working smoke alarms in the home reduces the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half (54 percent) reminds Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. However, roughly three out of five fire deaths occur in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. More than one-third (38 percent) of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms are present.
People tend to remove smoke alarm batteries or dismantle them altogether when they don’t know how to fix the issue. These actions put them at serious risk in the event of a home fire. This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign gives people the tools and know-how to keep their smoke alarms in working order.
Key messages for this year’s Fire Prevention Week theme, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” include the following:
Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home.
Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.
Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or don’t respond when tested.
Fire Prevention Week is celebrated throughout North America every October and is the oldest U.S. public health observance on record. For more than 100 years, Fire Prevention Week has worked to educate people the risk of home fires and ways to minimize them. Local fire departments, schools, and community organizations play a key role in bringing Fire Prevention Week to life in their communities each year and spreading basic but critical fire safety messages.
Contact your local Fire Dept. for more information.
