An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Everyone reminded to check smoke alarms regularly, replace batteries

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Samantha S. Crane
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Throughout the week of Oct. 3-9, base personnel learned about fire prevention and safety as part of Fire Prevention Week.

Hosted by the 375th Civil Engineer Squadron, the week included everything from story time at the Child Development Center and to meeting Sparky the Fire Dog to live-fire demonstrations in which firefighters extinguished real flames on a training aircraft.

"The week was great," said Carl Hodges, 375th CES Deputy Fire Chief. "We interacted with approximately 1,100+ Team Scott members and their families."

While the Fire Department provides seasonal education throughout the year, Fire Prevention Week provides the opportunity to focus on fire safety topics for an entire week.

"Fire Prevention Week provides a platform to promote fire safety with the main focus on protecting life and property," Mr. Hodges said. "It also allows the Fire Department a dedicated time of the year to educate the public."

This year's fire safety theme was "Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With." Each year, nearly 3,000 people die in home fires as a result of smoke alarms not working or not being installed. Only three quarters of all U.S. homes have at least one working smoke alarm. The leading cause of non-operational smoke alarms is missing batteries or disconnected wires.

As a wrap up to the event, the fire department reminds Team Scott that even though this theme was given more attention the week of Oct. 3-9, it's important to check smoke alarms throughout the year. The following tips can ensure smoke alarms are properly installed and working:

- Install smoke alarms on every level of the home, including the basement, outside each sleeping area and inside each bedroom. Larger homes may need additional smoke alarms. Never remove or disable smoke alarms.

- Interconnection of smoke alarms is highly recommended especially in larger or multi-story homes. This way, when one smoke alarm sounds, they all do.

- The two types of smoke alarm technologies are ionization and photoelectric. An ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires while a photoelectric alarm is more responsive to smoldering fires. Install a combination of the two to take advantage of both technologies.

- Test smoke alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button. If an alarm "chirps," which signals a low battery, replace the battery right away.

- Batteries should be replaced at least twice a year, and all smoke alarms should be replaced when they're 10 years old or sooner if they do not respond properly when tested.

- If an emergency occurs call 911, provide the dispatcher the nature of the emergency, location of the emergency, name and call back number.