Installing smoke detectors is the smart thing to do. It's also the safe thing to do.

Smoke Detector
Smoke detectors aren't new. The technology has been around since the 1960s. The single-station, battery-powered smoke detector, similar to the one we know today, became available to consumers in the 1970s.

RADIOACTIVE CONTENTS
Smoke alarm utilized a small amount of radioactive material to detect smoke.

Did you know? Most fire deaths occur at home. Most occur in homes with no working smoke detectors. So why take a risk? Install smoke detectors! They really do work!

Follow these tips to help save your life & property from fire: For minimum protection, install a smoke detector outside of each bedroom or sleeping area in your home. Keep your bedroom doors closed while you are asleep. Better, install detectors on every level of your home. Keep your smoke detectors properly maintained. Test them once a week to ensure that the detectors are working properly. Remember to change your smoke alarm batteries. Use only the type of batteries recommended on the detector. Develop an escape plan and review the plan with all members of the family frequently. Be aware that children and elderly people may need special assistance should a fire occur. Establish a meeting place outside the house for all members of the family to ensure that everyone gets out safely. When fire occurs, get out of the house and use a neighbor's telephone to notify the Fire Department.

 

Still a Major Problem
Thousands of people die each year in home fires where smoke detectors aren't present. Tragically, the grave importance of installing and maintaining smoke detectors has not yet been fully realized.

Most people who die in home fires are not in the room where the fire starts; working smoke detectors alert people to fire and give them time to escape in a situation where minutes can mean the difference between life and death.

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Make Placement a Priority
Location Best protection is obtained by installing a smoke alarm in the middle of a ceiling in every room. However, there should be at least one alarm outside the bedrooms.

If the bedrooms are situated in different parts if the home, several alarms should be installed. In a house with more than one floor there should be at least one alarm on each floor.

Always check that the alarm can easily be heard from the bedrooms. If necessary, install an alarm in the bedroom itself.

The smoke alarm should be placed in the middle of the ceiling, at least 15cm (6 in.) from a wall or a corner.

If the alarm is installed on a wall, it should be 15cm (6 in.) from the ceiling; for attics with a roof ridge, 90cm (3 ft.) from  the centre.

To avoid false alarm, the alarm should not be installed where naturally combustible particles are found( e.g. in garages, badly ventilated kitchen, beside open fireplaces. Nor should it be placed near by fans or ventilators.

DO not install smoke alarms in dusty or dirty places, or near by fluorescent lighting. Temperature and humidity of the room should be normal. The alarm must not be painted.

Do not install smoke alarm in temperature below 0 Celsius or more than 40 Celsius or above 85% relative humidity, and loser than 5 ft to fluorescent light fixture.

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Maintenance is a Must
Maintenance Test the smoke alarm every week, e.g. when doing the vacuuming, by pressing the test button for at least 10 seconds. The alarm signal is a penetrating, rapidly pulsating signal. The alarm sounds as long as the test button is pressed or there is smoke in the detector. When the alarm goes off, always check carefully to see that there is no fire and never remove the battery from the alarm except when changing it!

Always test the alarm immediately after returning from holiday or after a longer period of absence.

Under the test button there is a red control lamp which twinkles once a minute. This shows that the battery is correctly connected. If the alarm does nit sound when testing, the battery must be replaced.

The alarm should be dusted and cleaned regularly with a slightly damp cloth. In connection with annual battery change or when required, e.g. false alarm, clean and vacuum the alarm carefully using a soft brush.

Contact the Ridgway Fire Department