Smoke Alarms Facts

- Smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a reported fire in half.

- Most homes (96%) have at least one smoke alarm (according to a 2008 telephone survey.)

- Overall, three-quarters of all U.S. homes have at least one working smoke alarm.

- Each year, nearly 3,000 people die in U.S. home fires.

- In 2003-2006, roughly two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from home fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

- In more than half of the reported home fires in which the smoke alarms were present but did not operate even though the fire was large enough, batteries were missing or disconnected.

- More than half of the smoke alarms found in reported fires and two-thirds of the alarms found in homes with fire deaths were powered by battery only.

- Most homes still have smoke alarms powered by battery only.

- In a 2008 telephone survey, only 12% knew that smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.

- In fires considered large enough to activate a smoke alarm, hard-wired alarms operated 91% of the time; battery-powered smoke alarms operated 75% of the time.

- Interconnected smoke alarms on all floors increase safety. In a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) survey of households with any fires, interconnected smoke alarms were more likely to operate and alert occupants to a fire.

Smoke Alarm Safety tips

- 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. When one sounds, they all sound.

- Ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires, and a photoelectric smoke alarm is generally more responsive to smoldering fires. For the best protection, both types of alarms or a combination alarm (photoelectric and ionization) should be installed in homes.

- Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.

- Smoke rises; install smoke alarms following manufacturer’s instructions high on a wall or on a ceiling. Save manufacturer’s instructions for testing and maintenance.

- Replace batteries in all smoke alarms at least once a year. If an alarm “chirps”, warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.

- Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they are 10 year old or sooner if they do not respond properly.

- Be sure the smoke alarm has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.

- Alarms that are hard-wired (and include battery backup) must be installed by a qualified electrician.

- If cooking fumes or steam sets off nuisance alarms, replace the alarm with an alarm that has a “hush” button. A “hush” button will reduce the alarm’s sensitivity for a short period of time.

- An ionization alarm with a hush button or a photoelectric alarm should be used if the alarm is within 20 feet of a cooking appliance.

- Smoke alarms that include a recordable voice announcement in addition to the usual alarm sound, may be helpful in waking children through the use of a familiar voice.

- Smoke alarms are available for people who are deaf or harding of hearing. These devices use strobe lights. Vibration devices can be added to these alarms

- Smoke alarms are an important part of a home fire escape plan.

Don’t Risk A Lot for a Little

Smoke alarms are a perfect example of how to “Reduce” risk. Don’t risk a lot for a little and take 10 minutes to make sure your home is properly protected.

Reproduced from NFPA’s Fire Prevention Week Web site, www.firepreventionweek.org ©2010 NFPA

AVOID: This one is pretty straight forward. If you don’t participate in a particular activity or own a particular property, you eliminate the risk all together. This method is the easiest to execute but it can be the hardest to resist. Here are just a few examples of avoiding a risk:

• Not licensing a teenage driver who is clearly irresponsible

• Not buying a backyard trampoline because it is impossible to prevent neighborhood children from using it and potentially hurting themselves

• Not going skydiving (I’ve always wanted to do this, though!)

REDUCE: Obviously we cannot avoid everything, otherwise, we would never leave the house or cross the street. That’s why the next way to manage risk is to reduce it. Most of the time reducing risk is just a matter of using common sense and actually doing the things you know you should be doing in the first place.

• Having your chimney cleaned every year to reduce the chance of a fire

• Checking the prongs on your diamond engagement ring to reduce the chance of losing the stone

• Not drinking and driving to reduce the risk of a car accident

RETAIN: The third and final non-insurance way to manage risk is to pay the loss out of your own pocket, or retaining it. Most people retain risk when they carry a car insurance deductible or when they don’t buy earthquake coverage for their home in Lancaster County PA. However, retaining risk is only good when it is intentional. Unintentional retention of risk is bad news because you’re not aware the risk exists in the first place and you likely don’t have the money to pay for it. Some examples of unintentional risk include:

• Not having any coverage to repair or replace your finished basement after your sump pump failed and the overflow water damaged it

• Only receiving $1,000 after your $5,000 engagement ring gets stolen

• Not having any coverage to protect against a lawsuit when a customer visits your home-based business and falls on your icy sidewalk

TRANSFER: The final way to manage risk is to transfer the risk from you to another party. Buying insurance is the most common type of risk transfer. With insurance you pay a predetermined premium and in return the insurance carrier absorbs the losses that you otherwise would have to pay. Insurance makes the most sense when the risk is large but the cost to transfer the risk is small. Here are just a few examples when it makes sense to buy insurance:

• Transferring the risk of rebuilding your $200,000 home after a fire for a few hundred dollars

• Getting coverage for your $30,000 SUV if you are at fault for damaging your own car

• Buying liability insurance to protect your assets from a lawsuit

Insurance really is a piece of A.R.R.T. because insurance is the Transfer of risk. However, it is important to understand that risk can also be managed by using non-insurance methods too. That’s why your insurance agent should always explore all options to manage your personal risk and help you identify the unintentional retained risks that you may not even be aware of.

Do you have an ARRT masterpiece to manage risk or do you need to get the paint brush out for some touchup? Please leave a comment below.