Check your Smoke Alarms, Change the Batteries

Mon, 11/12/2012 - 8:22pm — Diane Dyer

Most fatal fires occur at night. Every home needs working smoke alarms to provide an early warning. Install smoke alarms in all sleeping rooms, hallways that lead to sleeping areas, basements and each additional level of your home. Smoke alarms should be mounted on the ceiling 4” from the wall; wall mounts should be 4-12” from the ceiling. Do not install near draft areas (windows, vents). Call your local fire department if you are unsure about the placement. They may also have some smoke alarms to give to families that qualify so be sure to check with them as they are a great resource in your community.

A good time to remember to check your smoke alarm and batteries is when you change your clocks, twice a year when daylight savings time begins and ends. So if you didn’t change the batteries on November 4, 2012, do it now!

Prepare and practice and escape plan!

Crawl low under smoke.

Plan where to meet outside.

Once you’re out, STAY OUT!

Remember, almost every day a smoke alarm saves someone’s life.

Submitted by: Gerald "Marty" Jones II, Butler County Child Fatality Review Board Awareness

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