Staff Reports

One of the best ways to ensure your family’s safety year-round is to always have working smoke detectors in your home.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, an estimated two-thirds of home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or in homes with smoke alarms that failed to operate properly.  The NFPA reported that dead or missing batteries are the most common reasons for smoke alarms to fail.

Half of fire-related deaths occur in the hours between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., when most people are likely to be asleep.  Having a working smoke detector can save your life.  There should be alarms in every bedroom, outside every separate sleeping area and on each level of the home.  Larger homes may need more alarms.  For the greatest protection, interconnected alarms are best.  When one sounds, they all sound.

A smoke detector is useless without fresh batteries to ensure that it works properly in the event of a fire. An easy way to remember to change your smoke detector’s batteries is to replace them twice a year, when you change your clocks.  You may also want to consider installing 10-year lithium battery-operated smoke alarms.  These smoke alarms are powered for 10 years by sealed, long-life lithium batteries. After 10 years of use, residents can simply discard the smoke alarm and replace it with a new one.

The Chino Valley Fire District offers residents the following tips to help keep smoke alarms in good working order:

• Test smoke alarms once a month by pushing the test button;
• Replace batteries in smoke alarms at least twice a year;
• Replace your smoke alarms every 10 years or in accordance with manufacturer guidelines;
• Do not disable smoke alarms, even temporarily;
• Vacuum regularly or dust your smoke alarms to keep them working properly;
• Develop and practice a family escape plan so that everyone in your home knows what to do if the smoke alarm rings.

To learn more about fire and life safety, visit www.chinovalleyfire.org or follow the Chino Valley Fire District on social media @cvifd.