Smoke Alarms Save Lives

Smoke alarms save lives. Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. If there is a fire in your home, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you time to get out. 

Here's what you need to know!

• A closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire. Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home. 
• Smoke alarms should be interconnected. When one sounds, they all sound. 
• Large homes may need extra smoke alarms.
• Test your smoke alarms at least once a month. Press the test button to be sure the alarm is working.
• Today’s smoke alarms will be more technologically advanced to respond to a multitude of fire conditions, yet mitigate false alarms.
• When a smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside.
• Replace all smoke alarms in your home every 10 years.

Most manufacturers recommend replacing smoke detector batteries twice each year. We recommend replacing the batteries when you change the time on your clocks as a great way to remember. 

Once you have changed the batteries, you should also test your smoke detectors. Should you have any questions about how to test your smoke detector or how to replace the battery, consult your manufacturer’s instructions. In most cases, you can identify the manufacturer from the information on the device and search for the instructions from an Internet search engine.

In the event of a fire in your home, while you and your family are asleep, a properly placed and operating smoke detector will alarm and provide you with notice to safely evacuate. Faulty smoke detectors should be replaced as soon as possible. A licensed electrician can also be helpful in replacing defective smoke detectors.

For questions you may have regarding the smoke detectors within your home in Lehigh Acres, please contact our Life Safety Management Division by calling 239-303-5335. The Life Safety team will also provide and install smoke detectors, free of charge, in the homes of our senior citizens, disabled persons, or residents who cannot afford them. (Please note: If you have hard-wired smoke alarms, we are unable to remove/uninstall them).