Jefferson City, Missouri - Installing and maintaining smoke alarms in your home can make the difference between life and death and is why all Missourians are encouraged to use Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 5-11, to make sure their families are protected with smoke alarms.
 
“People need to understand how crucial smoke detectors are in fire safety and do all they can to have them in the home,” said Acting State Fire Marshal Greg Carrell. “Most home fire deaths occur where there are no working smoke alarms and about half of those deadly fires happen at night when people are asleep.”
 
Carrell said home fires often grow so quickly and produce so much smoke that people are often overcome before they can respond. Working smoke alarms can alert family members to the danger, providing enough time to safely escape.
To help make sure smoke alarms to work properly, replace smoke detector batteries at least once a year. Doing it at the same time each year, such as the return to Standard Time, when we set our clocks back an hour, makes it easier to remember. This year, Standard Time goes back into effect at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 2. Smoke alarms should also be installed in every bedroom, outside all sleeping areas and on every level of the home, including the basement. Each device should be tested every month by pushing the test button and replaced as soon as they don’t work properly or when they are 10 years old.
 
The Division of Fire Safety suggests creating and practicing a family fire safety plan that includes home fire escape routes and establishing a location outside the home where family members are to meet if they become separated.
For more than 85 years, fire departments and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) have observed Fire Prevention Week, making it the longest running public health and safety observance on record. For more information on “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month!” visit www.firepreventionweek.org.