Fire Prevention Week: Take five minutes to check your smoke alarms

Five minutes could save your family in a fire

Taking five minutes out of your day could save your life. During Fire Prevention Week Oct. 6-12, South County firefighters are urging everyone to check your home’s smoke alarms.

“Smoke alarms can give you and your family a much better chance of surviving a fire – but only if they work,” said South County Fire Assistant Chief Todd Anderson. “We often respond to homes where smoke alarms are too old, missing batteries or completely removed from the ceiling or wall.”

Residents sometimes remove batteries from smoke alarms that repeatedly sound due to burnt food or false alarms.

“Often the problem in those cases is either placement of the smoke alarm or the age of the smoke alarm,” said South County Fire Community Outreach Manager Shawneri Guzman. “Smoke alarms older than 10 years may not work properly in a fire, even if they sound when tested.”

Keep smoke alarms away from the kitchen to reduce false alarms, Guzman said.

Here’s what else to know:

– Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home. Install alarms in the basement.
– Test all smoke alarms at least once a month. Press the test button to be sure the alarm is working.
–  Replace all smoke alarms 10 years after the manufacturing date.

South County’s 15 fire stations are staffed around-the-clock, 365 days each year. “We’re always ready if you need us, but we really hope you don’t,” Anderson said.

South County Fire is available to answer your questions about smoke alarms. Email outreach@southsnofire.org or call 425-320-5800.

South County Fire provides fire and emergency medical services to nearly 300,000 residents of Brier, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace and unincorporated southwest Snohomish County.

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