Residential deaths have decreased steadily over the years, as the number of homes with installed smoke detectors has increased. reports from the National Fire Protection Association show that smoke detectors can cut your risk of dying in a home fire by nearly 50 percent.
- Install at least one detector on every level of your home including the basement
- Test every detector at least once a month
- Replace smoke detector batteries twice a year. The fire department recommends each time you move your clocks ahead and back
- Smoke detectors do not last forever! Replace them every ten years
Two types of detectors are available:
- Photoelectric smoke detectors are better at sensing smoldering (smokey) fires, such as a smoldering mattress
- Ionization smoke detectors are better as responding to flaming fires. It is reported that most fires are categorized as flaming fires