SMOKE DETECTORS

YOUR SMOKE DETECTOR

IS PART OF A TOTAL ESCAPE PLAN

THE DANGER

Over 6,000 deaths occur in homes each year.

Most people die from SMOKE and toxic gases rather than the fire itself. Many never even wake up.

MOST FIRE DEATHS COULD BE PREVENTED

THE PLAN

Protect yourself and your family by:

Purchasing, installing and maintaining one or more SMOKE DETECTORS in your home to wake you when the fire starts.

Developing and practicing an ESCAPE PLAN to enable you to get out safely.

PURCHASE A SMOKE DETECTOR

A smoke detector is a fire alarm that buzzes when it detects smoke, warning you in time to escape.

WHAT KIND?

Smoke detectors can be either house current or battery operated. Either kind can do a good job.

Make sure the model you choose has been listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.

HOW MUCH?

A smoke detector may be purchased at most retail stores for about $10.00 - $30.00.

HOW MANY?

There should be a least one smoke detector in every household. Additional detectors will significantly increase your chances of survival.

INSTALLATION IS SIMPLE

If you can handle a screwdriver, you can install most smoke detectors.

WHERE?

Smoke detectors should be placed on the ceiling or high on a wall near the bedrooms. This enables the detector to sense the smoke as it approaches the sleeping area.

Locate your smoke detector away from air outlet vents.

Call your local fire department for advice on the best place to install your detectors.

HOW?

Battery-operated and "plug-in" electric detectors can be attached directly to the ceiling or wall.

"Wired-in" electric detectors are somewhat more difficult to install and may require an electrician.

How Does A Smoke Detector Work?

Look at this cut away view of a smoke detector. 

KNOW HOW TO ESCAPE

Your smoke detector will awaken you, but you may not be thinking clearly. You should practice escaping before an emergency strikes.

WHY?

Once a fire has started, it spreads rapidly. You may have only seconds to get out.

Normal exits from bedrooms may be blocked by smoke or fire. It is important everyone knows exactly what to do.

IDENTIFY ESCAPE ROUTES

Plan two exits from every room. Second story windows may need a rope or chain ladder to enable occupants to escape safely.

Choose a meeting place outside the home so you'll know everyone has escaped.

PRACTICE ESCAPING

Practice allows you to test your plan before a real emergency. You may not be able to reach your children! It is important that they know exactly what to do.

MAINTENANCE IS IMPORTANT

Your smoke detector must be maintained properly to provide you and your family with protection.

HOW?

Replace batteries and bulbs according to manufacturer's instructions. Battery-operated units do require somewhat more maintenance, since batteries must be replaced.

Dust the grillwork of your detector.

Test your detector periodically according to the manufacturer's instructions.

PROTECT YOUR FAMILY FROM FIRE

1. PURCHASE one or more smoke detectors.

2. INSTALL your detectors properly.

3. IDENTIFY escape routes and PRACTICE ESCAPING.

4. MAINTAIN your detectors.

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E. D. I. T. H.

EXIT DRILLS IN THE HOME

Plan Your Escape

When a fire occurs, there is no time for planning. Sit down with your family today and make a step-by-step plan for escaping from a fire.

Draw a floor-plan of your home, marking two ways out of every room - especially sleeping areas. Discuss the escape routes with every member of your household.

Agree on a meeting place outside your home where every member of the household will gather after escaping a fire to wait for the fire department.

This allows you to count heads and inform the fire department if anyone is trapped inside the burning building.

Practice your escape plan at least twice a year. Have a fire drill in your home. Appoint someone to be monitor and have everyone participate. A fire drill is not a race. Get out quickly, but carefully.

Make your exit drill realistic. Pretend that some exits are blocked by fire and practice alternative escape routes. Pretend that the lights are out and that some escape routes are filling with smoke.

Be Prepared

Make sure everyone in the household can unlock all doors and windows quickly, even in the dark. Windows or doors with security bars need to be equipped with quick-release devices and everyone in the household should know how to use them.

If you live in an apartment building, use stairways to escape. Never use an elevator during a fire. It may stop between floors or take you to a floor where the fire is burning.

If you live in a two-story house, and you must escape from a second-story window, be sure there is a safe way to reach the ground. Make special arrangements for children, older adults and people with disabilities.

People who have difficulty moving should have a phone in their sleeping area and, if possible, should sleep on the ground floor.

Test doors before opening them. While kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up as high as you can and touch the door, the knob and the space between the door and its frame with the back of your hand. If the door is hot, use another escape route. If the door is cool, open it with caution.

If you are trapped, close all doors between you and the fire. Stuff the cracks around the doors with towels or blankets to keep out smoke. Wait at a window and signal for help with a light-colored cloth or a flashlight. If there is a phone in the room, call the fire department and tell them exactly where you are.

Get Out Fast ...

In case of fire, do not stop for anything. Do not try to rescue possessions or pets. Go directly to your meeting place and then call the fire department from a neighbor's phone. Every member of your household should know how to call the fire department.

Crawl low under smoke. Smoke contains deadly gases and heat rises. During a fire, cleaner air will be near the floor. If you encounter smoke when using your primary exit, use your alternate escape plan. If you must exit through smoke, crawl on your hands and knees keeping your head 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm) above the floor.

... And Stay Out

Once you are out of your home, do not go back for any reason. If people are trapped, the firefighters have the best chance of rescuing them. The heat and smoke of a fire are overpowering. Firefighters have the training, experience and protective equipment needed to enter burning buildings.

Play it Safe

Smoke detectors. More than half of all fatal home fires happen at night while people are asleep. Smoke detectors sound an alarm when a fire starts, alerting people before they are trapped or overcome by smoke. With smoke detectors, your risk of dying in a home fire is cut nearly in half.

Install smoke detectors outside every sleeping area and on every level of your home, including the basement. Test smoke detectors monthly. Change all smoke detector batteries at least once a year. If your detector is more than 10 years old, replace it.

Special thanks to "Toad" at the Seminole Co. FD from whom I borrowed this page.