Fire Prevention Tips

  1. Smoke Alarms
  • Install a smoke alarm in every bedroom or sleeping area. You should also have one on every level of your home, including basements. Consider multiple locations on a single level at opposite ends of the home for large houses.
  • Have the correct smoke alarm:
    • Standard - An ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires, and a photoelectric smoke alarm is generally more responsive to smoldering fires. Both types of alarms and combination ionization-photoelectric alarms are recommended. It's recommended to have a 10-year lithium battery.
    • Strobe/Photoelectric Alarm - For the hearing impaired, deaf, and elderly, they plug directly into the wall and have an industrial strobe. A strobe alarm's best location is outside a sleeping area of in a bedroom. If you only have one strobe alarm, you should have standard alarms throughout the rest of your home.
    • Bed Shakers/Vibe - For visually impaired, hearing impaired, deaf, blind, and elderly. Bed shaker interconnects with smoke alarms, vibe, doorbells, and other disability-accessible devices. The vibe is an accessory pager with a bed shaker for the impaired and blind. Bed shakers are placed in a bedroom, next to the bed. You need standard alarms throughout the rest of your home.
  • A smoke alarm should be on the ceiling or high on a wall. Keep smoke alarms away from the kitchen to reduce false alarms. They should be at least 10 feet (3 meters) from the stove.
  • Test all smoke alarms at least once a month. Press the test button to be sure the alarm is working.