Government » Departments/Divisions » Fire Department » Fire Prevention and Planning » Fire & Safety Tips

Alarms & Detectors

Font Size: + -
Share & Bookmark, Press Enter to show all options, press Tab go to next option
Print

Smoke Detectors

In a home fire, poisonous smoke and gases spread far ahead of the flames. The poisonous gases can quickly overcome a person trying to escape. The majority of fire deaths occur at night when people are asleep. Fire gases deaden the sense of smell and can keep a sleeping person from ever waking up, causing death long before the arrival of any flames.

Protect yourself and your loved ones! During a fire, there is no time to waste. A working smoke detector, properly installed, will double your chances of survival during a home fire. A smoke detector will give you the time you need to get out alive.

Test Detectors Monthly- Be sure you are protected! Test your smoke detectors once each month. Make sure children recognize the sound of the alarm and know what to do. Press the test button on the detector and listen for the alarm, use a broomstick to reach detectors on high ceilings.

Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries- Change the batteries in your smoke detectors when you adjust your clocks for Daylight Savings Time in the Spring, and again in the Fall when we return to Standard time. Never borrow the batteries from your smoke detector for other uses.

 

Additional Resources

Safety Tip Sheet on Smoke Alarms
Hoja de consejos de seguridad en los detectores de humo (español)

 

Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Although the popularity of carbon monoxide (CO) alarms has been growing in recent years, it cannot be assumed that everyone is familiar with the hazards of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home.

Often called the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.

Safety Tips

Often called the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel can be sources of carbon monoxide.

  • CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home and in other locations where required by applicable laws, codes or standards. For the best protection, interconnect all CO alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
  • Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for placement and mounting height.
  • Choose a CO alarm that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
  • Test CO alarms at least once a month; replace them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for low batteries. If the battery is low, replace it. If it still sounds, call the fire department.
  • If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Make sure everyone inside the home is accounted for. Call for help from a fresh air location and stay there until emergency personnel arrive.
  • If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do not run a vehicle or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors are open.
  • A generator should be used in a well-ventilated location outdoors away from windows, doors and vent openings.
  • Gas or charcoal grills can produce CO — only use outside.

Additional Resources