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OSFM »   Community Risk Reduction »   Fire Prevention & Education »   Smoke Alarms

Smoke Alarms

Smoke Alarm

Did You Know...

  • Working smoke alarms decrease the chances of dying in a home fire by 55%.
  • In today’s fires, families have an average of 2 minutes to get out of their homes once the smoke alarm sounds.
  • 134 fire deaths occurred across North Carolina in 2021, and many of those homes did not have working smoke alarms.
  • 3 out of every 5 home fire deaths across the nation result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
  • Dead batteries cause 25% of the smoke alarm failures; hardwired power source problems cause 7% of the failures. 

Top Safety Tips

  • Place a smoke alarm on every level of your home outside sleeping areas.  If bedroom doors are kept shut, place a smoke alarm in each bedroom.
  • Teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like and what to do when they hear it.
  • Prepare and practice an escape plan – know at least two ways to get out of a room, crawl low under smoke and plan where to meet outside.
  • Keep smoke alarms clean by regularly vacuuming over and around it.  Dust and debris can interfere with the smoke alarms operation.
  • Install smoke alarms away from windows, doors, or ducts that can interfere with proper operation.
  • Never remove the battery from or disable a smoke alarm.  If your smoke alarm is sounding “nuisance alarms,” try moving it away from kitchens or bathrooms.
  • Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.

Smoke Alarm Safety Resources

  • NFPA - National Fire Protection Association
  • American Red Cross
  • Kidde
  • First Alert
  • U.S. Fire Administration

This page was last modified on 04/13/2022

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https://www.ncosfm.gov/community-risk-reduction/fire-prevention-education/smoke-alarms