Smoke Alarms

Working smoke detectors in your home can reduce the chance of dying in a fire by 50 percent! 

Those are odds you can live with! Smoke alarms alert you that a fire has started and give you ample time to escape. Since most fire deaths occur at night while people are sleeping, it is important to install working smoke alarms in the home to give you and your family enough time to get out of the house safely. Each residence should have a working smoke alarm on each level of the home and in or near each bedroom.

Escape Planning:

Each home should have an escape plan which includes the following elements: know two ways out of each room; if a closed door is hot, do not open it; if smoke is present, drop down low to the floor and crawl to safety; establish a safe meeting place outside for the whole family, and call 9-1-1 from your safe meeting place or a neighbor’s house. Practice your plan often so everyone recognizes the sound of the smoke alarm and knows what to do.

Maintenance:

Test your smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button. If you have standard nine-volt batteries (not 10-year batteries), a good rule of thumb is to replace your batteries twice a year when you change your clock in the spring and the fall. If your alarm “chirps,” replace the battery immediately. If you have hard-wired alarms, battery back-up is required in case of a power failure. Vacuum or dust your smoke alarms according to manufacturer’s directions to keep them working properly. Replace your entire smoke alarm after ten years.

If you cannot afford smoke alarms or are unable to install them, the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue will supply and/or install them free of charge. Remember, if you are renting, your landlord is responsible for providing smoke alarms. You may call your local fire and rescue station 703-221-4242 or 703-792-6360 for assistance.

Which Smoke Alarm to Install?

Guide to selecting the smoke alarms to protect you and your family

Because both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms are better at detecting distinctly different yet potentially fatal fires, and because homeowners cannot predict what type of fire might start in a home, use these guidelines to help best protect your family:

BEST

• IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SMOKE ALARM INSTALLED IN YOUR HOME, GET ONE AND INSTALL IT.
• Install a working smoke alarm on every level of the home, outside sleeping areas, and inside bedrooms.
• Install both ionization and photoelectric type smoke alarms.
• Install interconnected smoke alarms.
• Install smoke alarms using house wiring with battery back-up.

Better

• IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SMOKE ALARM INSTALLED IN YOUR HOME, GET ONE AND INSTALL IT.
• Install more than one smoke alarm.
• Install interconnected smoke alarms.
• Install smoke alarms with sealed 10 year batteries.

Good

• IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SMOKE ALARM INSTALLED IN YOUR HOME, GET ONE AND INSTALL IT.

Regular testing is the only way to make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test your smoke alarms once a month and installing more than one smoke alarm. If you test it less often and only have one smoke alarm, a non-working smoke alarm may leave you and your family unprotected.

A Message from the U.S. Fire Administrator about Home Smoke Alarms Posted on August 27, 2008

by Gregory B. Cade, U.S. Fire Administrator

USFA is aware that there is a growing controversy about which type of smoke alarm is most appropriate to protect Americans in their homes. In accordance with our mission to reduce life and economic losses due to fire, we offer the following guidance regarding home smoke alarms.

USFA recommends that every residence and place where people sleep be equipped with either both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms or dual sensor smoke alarms.

The body of scientific knowledge about fire, smoke, and smoke detection has developed over many years and is extensive. The USFA has either fully or partially funded a number of research efforts, including a recent study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Center for Fire Research. Other contributors to this knowledge include the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Fire Protection Association, Underwriters Laboratories, the Home Fire Safety Council, the Residential Fire Safety Institute, the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, and distinguished academics with expertise in smoke alarm and sensor technology. The body of research reflects the following:

There are two types of smoke alarms in general use for residential smoke alarms: photoelectric and ionization. These types of smoke alarms sense the presence of smoke differently.

The type of smoke produced by a fire depends strongly on the type of fire.
Flaming fires produce a different type of smoke than smoldering fires.

Both types of smoke alarms will detect the smoke from either a smoldering fire or a flaming fire. It has been factually established and well known for many years that:
Ionization type smoke alarms tend to respond faster to the smoke produced by flaming fires than photoelectric type smoke alarms, and Photoelectric type smoke alarms tend to respond faster to the smoke produced by smoldering fires than ionization type smoke alarms.
In some full-scale fire tests, the difference in the time to alarm between ionization and photoelectric type smoke alarms has been found to be trivial. In other full-scale fire tests, the difference in response time has been found to be considerable.
Based upon the above, the USFA provides the following guidance to the public and to state and local legislative bodies that may be grappling with the issue of the proper type of smoke alarm to select for use in a residence:

It cannot be stated categorically that one type of smoke alarm is better than any other type of smoke alarm in every fire situation that could possibly arise in a residence.

Because both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms are better at detecting distinctly different yet potentially fatal fires, and because no one can predict what type of fire might start in a home, the USFA recommends that every residence and place where people sleep be equipped with either (a) both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms, or (b) dual sensor smoke alarms (which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors).

The location of a smoke alarm within a home may be more important than the type of smoke alarm present, depending on the location of a fire. The USFA recommends that users follow the manufacturer's guidance on the recommended location of smoke alarms in a home. Additional information on smoke alarms can be found on the USFA, CPSC, and NIST Web sites.

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