Three out of five home fire deaths in 2007-2011 were caused by fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms, according to the National Fire Protection Association
Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in reported home fires in half.
"Obviously your chance of escaping with a working smoke detector increases exponentially," Maysville Fire Chief Kevin Doyle said.
The loss of a mother, three of her children and a neighbor after fire swept through Maysville row houses earlier this month, four of them in a home without a working smoke alarm brings home the value of smoke detectors. Doyle is reminding the public that the rollback of Daylight Saving Time is the perfect opportunity to check out home smoke alarms.
Doyle said he recommends replacing batteries in battery-operated smoke alarms, every six months. And while some see replacing perfectly good batteries as wasteful, Doyle said the newer batteries make the alarms safer and the older ones can be used in other items like toys or even TV remote controls.
In addition to replacing batteries, it is also a good time to make sure smoke alarms are in good working order, Doyle said. The devices do have a "shelf life" of about 10 years so alarms which have reached that age should be replaced, he said. Keeping track on when smoke alarms were purchased and installed is always a good idea, he added.
The NFPA suggests testing all smoke alarms at least once a month. Press the test button to be sure the alarm is working.
In fires considered large enough to activate the smoke alarm, hardwired alarms operated 93 percent of the time, while battery powered alarms operated only 79 percent of the time.
The fire department is always available for city residents who are having difficulty or need help in replacing batteries, Doyle said. The department also keeps some of the devices on hand at the fire station for residents who may be in need, he said.
"If you are within the city we will go out and install a smoke detector or check your batteries," Doyle said.
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