Fire Prevention 52: Sound the Alarm

Smoke detectors can have an audible alarm to alert you to a possible fire.

Smoke Alarms. Smoke Detectors. Fire Alarms.

All of these are terms for devices and systems at work and home to alert you of a fire. Smoke alarms and smoke detectors are typically found in homes and sense smoke and activate with a piercing sound designed to wake you and your family up so you can get out of your house. Fire alarms, typically found at work, are a system of devices such as smoke detectors, manual pull stations, and output devices such as horns and strobe lights for the deaf, all connected to a control panel that can alert the fire department.

In October 2012, a fire broke out in a historic structure at Minuteman National Historic Park in Concord, Massachusetts. Occupants of the building, both employees and visitors, were alerted by a smoke detector and evacuated without injury, while the alarm system activated the local fire department and sprinkler system. Thanks to proper design and maintenance, this fire emergency had a safe outcome.

In housing units, people often disable smoke detectors by covering the detector, removing the battery, or removing the detector because of too many false alarms. This often happens because smoke alarms are dirty with dust or cobwebs, or because they are placed too close to cooking smoke or shower steam.

These systems are the first line of defense for our buildings and their contents. Properly installing, testing, and maintaining fire and smoke alarms will ensure that occupants are notified of a fire.

Fire Info for You

• Watch a video on smoke alarms.
• If you are deaf or hard of hearing, download the Smoke Alarms Disability Safety Tip Sheet from the National Fire Protection Association.

Test your smoke alarm every month and change batteries when needed.

C STEVENSON/NPS

Take Action

At work - Find out if your building has a fire alarm. If it does, does it work? Ask your facility manager when the alarm was last tested. No fire alarm? Now is always a good time to talk with your coworkers about how you are going to notify the rest of the building and the fire department if there is a fire.

At home - Make sure that you have working smoke alarms on every floor of your house and in every bedroom. Install smoke alarms at least 10 feet from a cooking appliance to minimize false alarms when cooking. If the smoke alarm chirps indicating the battery is low, replace the battery immediately.

Test them once per month by pushing the test button.Replace smoke alarms every 10 years or when they no longer respond to testing. If your smoke alarms/detectors are covered in dust or cobwebs, clean them with a vacuum cleaner.

Prevention 52 Series

This article is part of the National Park Service's Prevention 52 series. Prevention 52 provides you with relevant fire prevention messages every week of the year—52 to be exact!