Smoke alarms are the first step to protecting your family from a fire. Ask yourself following questions to see if you and your family are ready to respond.

• Do you test your smoke alarms every month?
• Do you replace the batteries in your smoke alarms every year?
• Is there a smoke alarm located in every bedroom?
• Is there a smoke alarm located in the hallway outside of every bedroom?
• Do you have at least one smoke alarm on each floor of your home?
• Are your smoke alarms over 10 years old?
  • Check the date on the back of the alarm, if there is not a date posted, the alarm is over 10 years old
• Do you and your children know what your smoke detector sounds like?

The USFA and NFPA recommended that you should replace the batteries in your smoke alarms at least once a year. A good reminder to change your batteries is to coordinate the change with the change in daylight savings time, also known as "change your clocks, change your batteries." Smoke alarms should also be tested on a monthly basis and alarms older than ten years old should be replaced with new units immediately. The NFPA recommends installation of smoke detectors in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. Interconnect all smoke detectors throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound. Remember to always follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained, play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. For more information, check out our Smoke and CO Alarm Quick Reference Guide.

More information for the deaf or hard-of-hearing community.

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