Working smoke alarms give you early warning to help you escape a fire.
Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. Having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half.
In this video NFPA’s Sharon Gamache discusses the latest information on types of smoke alarms you need, their placement and special features.
• Ninety-six percent of all homes have at least one smoke alarm, according to a 2010 telephone survey. Overall, three-quarters of all U.S. homes have at least one working smoke alarm.
• Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths in 2005-2009 resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
• When smoke alarms fail to operate, it is usually because batteries are missing, disconnected or dead. Almost one-quarter of the smoke alarm failures was due to dead batteries.
Source: NFPA’s “Smoke Alarms in U.S. Home Fires”, by Marty Ahrens, September 2011.