According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the US fire departments responded to around 1,318,500 home fires last year. These fire caused a total number of 3,400 deaths, 14,670 burns and an average property loss of $23 billion.
Ironically, more than half of the life and property loss mentioned above could be prevented using a smoke alarm sensor. The NFPA says 3 out of 5 home fire fatalities occurred due to the absence or malfunctioning smoke alarms.
On August 30, 2018 a heartbreaking story made headings in the US newspapers. 10 children died due to the malfunctioning smoke alarm. The incident happened in Little Village, Chicago. Another incident occurred near Portage Park on November 12. The house engulfed in fire, injuring a pet dog and his owner, when the fire detector went off. And there are many other examples. To spread awareness among the masses, the National Fire Prevention Week was celebrated back in October. Homeowners and families were encouraged to use home safety devices such as the smoke detectors, firefighter sensors for their safety.
The Fire Department, therefore, recommends every homeowner to use working home smoke detectors particularly, during winters when the temperature decreases. Here is how a smoke alarm sensor can help save a life:
Smoke Detector Saves a Life
Smoke detectors detect smoke and fire in the house and triggers to inform the homeowners about it. A Harris County family was sleeping when fire engulfed their exterior. The family could have died if their wireless smoke alarm would not trigger. The incident happened on November 5, 2018. You can read the details here.
Complete Home Fire Safety
For complete home fire safety, having a fire alarm and a working home smoke detector is crucial. It gives prior warning to the homeowners about a fire threat. Early warning is important because:
- Increases time to evacuate the building before the fire engulfs everything
- Increases time to call and get instant medical aid
- Increases chances of dousing the fire
And use of a firefighter sensor with your smoke alarm helps get them quick emergency assistance from the home monitoring agents. It is one of the most cost-effective ways to protect your property from smoke and fire-related events.
Where to Install a Fire Alarm
According to the NFPA, install smoke alarms near each sleeping area. Make sure your fire alarm is installed at least 10 feet away from the fireplace, stove or your heater. Keeping the smoke detector near to these areas increases risks of false alarms.
Smoke Detector Safety Tips
Smoke detectors are integral part of your home fire evacuation plan. Smoke spreads quickly in case of a home fire. Here are some of the smoke alarm tips for you to stay protected:
- Test your smoke detector once or twice a month.
- An open door may increase the spread of heat, fire and smoke. You should have a smoke alarm in every room that is used for sleeping to ensure safety.
- Your smoke detectors should be interconnected. So if one triggers, they all trigger.
- The best smoke detectors are offered by the best home security systems. They have the most advanced detectors that can respond to various types of fires.