Chesapeake In The Know

Almost three of every five home fire deaths take place in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. We’ve seen this first hand here in Chesapeake recently. Smoke alarms save lives. Here are a few tips to make sure your home is properly protected.

• Install a smoke alarm in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area.
• Have alarms on every floor of your home.
• Install them on the ceiling or high on the wall less than a foot away from the ceiling.
• Never paint or decorate a smoke alarm.
• Test them once a month. Replace batteries at least once a year. Replace the alarm itself every 10 years.
• Always follow manufacturer directions when testing and installing alarms. Hold on to those directions so you can continue to reference them when needed.

Today is a great day to do a quick fire safety audit of your home. Do you have smoke alarms? How many? Where are they located? Do they have batteries that work? Have you tested them lately?  Do you need more alarms in other places? Take the time today to properly equip your home with lifesaving smoke alarms.  For more fire safety tips, call the Fire Department at 382-6566.