This year's Fire Prevention Week campaign, running from Oct. 5 to 11, wants to stress that working smoke alarms save lives so test them every month.
Along with firefighters and safety advocates across the country, Prince George Fire Rescue Service is joining forces with the non-profit National Fire Protection Association to remind residents that working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire in half.
Two thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
"In a fire, seconds count," said Marcel Profeit, fire prevention captain of the Prince George Fire Rescue. "Roughly half of home fire deaths result from fires reported at night between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most people are asleep. Home smoke alarms can alert people to a fire before it spreads, giving everyone enough time to get out."
This year's Fire Prevention Week campaign includes the following smoke alarm messages:
Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. This way, when one sounds, they all do.
Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.
Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or sooner if they don't respond properly.
Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm and understands what to do when they hear it.
To learn more about smoke alarms and Working Smoke Alarms Saves Lives, visit NFPA'sweb site at www.firepreventionweek.org.
