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For immediate release: October 4, 2004 (04-117)
Contacts:
Mary Borges, Department of Health
Injury Prevention Specialist 360-236-3606
Karen Jones, Washington State Patrol 360-753-0435
Deanna Whitman, Department of Health Communications Office 360-236-4022
A properly working smoke alarm could save your life
OLYMPIA ¾ It’s autumn and colder weather is on its way. In Washington, home fires and home fire-related deaths are more likely to occur during fall and winter. It’s Fire Prevention Week and the Washington State Department of Health, in partnership with the Office of the State Fire Marshal, is reminding residents that properly installing and testing their smoke alarms could save their lives.
In 2002, U.S. fire departments responded to nearly 401,000 residential fires - one every 79 seconds. Fires and burns are the fifth leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths among children ages 14 and younger in Washington. Children younger than five and adults over 65 are at the greatest risk of dying in a home fire.
The chance of dying in a residential fire is cut in half when a working smoke alarm is present. Roughly 70 percent of residential deaths occurred in homes without smoke alarms or working smoke alarms.
"It’s important for all families to have a working smoke alarm in their home and we are making this happen," said Mary Borges, Department of Health Injury Prevention Specialist. Teaming with local fire departments, the Department of Health’s smoke alarm installation and education program has installed more than 5,600 alarms; 20 lives have been saved because residents heard the alarm and got out.
Smoke alarms are the most effective early warning device available for the home and provide valuable time to escape a fire. "Fires can spread rapidly through a home and people may have as little as two minutes to escape after the alarm sounds," said Karen Jones, Deputy State Fire Marshal. "We encourage people to test their smoke alarms monthly and immediately leave their home if it goes off."
Smoke alarms should be installed correctly and maintained:
Install at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home and outside sleeping areas.
Mount smoke alarms on ceilings or high walls.
Test smoke alarms once a month, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Replace batteries once a year or as soon as the device "chirps," indicating that the battery is low.
Replace all smoke alarms after 10 years, even those that are hard-wired or with "long-life" (10-year) batteries. Smoke alarms with "long-life" batteries must be replaced when the alarm "chirps" or fails to respond to periodic testing. The batteries in these units cannot be replaced.
Residential sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers and escape plans are also effective at preventing fire and reducing the risk. Plan and practice several fire escape routes from each room of your home and identify a safe meeting place outside. Practice ensures that everyone in the home knows the fire escape plan, are familiar with the sound of the smoke alarm and know how to exit quickly.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has been the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week since 1922. The campaign's purpose is to raise public awareness about the dangers of fire, how to prevent it and how to be protected from it. Fire Prevention Week commemorates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, in which more than 250 people died, 100,000 were left homeless and more than 17,400 structures were destroyed. Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record according to the NFPA.
Information on the Office of the State Fire Marshal is available on the Washington State Patrol Web site (http://www.wsp.wa.gov/). To learn more about fire prevention activities in your area, contact your local fire department.
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