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Every year over 3,000 people lose their lives every year in residential fires. The main case of this is due to inhalation of smoke and toxic gases and not because of burns.

This is why it is very important to test your smoke alarms once a month and replace their batteries annually. Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms are one of the best ways to provide early warning of a fire. They save lives, prevent injury, and minimize property damage.

If a smoke alarm begins to chirp, it usually means the battery is need of replacement. DON’T WAIT! Replace the battery when this occurs. A smoke alarm will not activate without a new battery. Don’t put yourself at risk by letting it go.

NEVER! Disable the smoke alarm due to the nuisance of it going off when cooking or steam from a shower. Clean them following the manufactures recommendations or instructions.

At least one smoke detector should be placed on every level of the home. The most important locations are outside of bedrooms or even in them. Follow the manufactures instructions on where and how to install them properly.

It is important to practice fire escape drills in the home to keep your families safe in the event a fire is discovered. Practice these drills annually. Have a meeting place outside somewhere safe, and where everyone is familiar with. Remember to keep exits clear of objects. Also be aware that when testing your smoke alarms that children and the elderly can sleep through the alarms. Keep this in mind when doing your exit drills that they may not wake up. Do a few drills at night to get them used to the alarms going off.