• 1.6 million fires were reported.

• 3,430 civilians lost their lives as a result of fire.

• Children face a greater risk of injury or death from a fire, with the risk to children under 5 yrs of age almost doubling.

• 80% of deaths as a result of fire occurred in the home.

• Homes with smoke alarms typically have a death rate that is 40 percent to 50 percent less than the rate for homes without alarms.

• 95% of U.S. homes have at least one smoke alarm, yet more than half of home fire deaths occur in the 5 percent of homes with no smoke alarms.

• Smoke and toxic gases kill more people than flames do.

• Fires within homes are not bright, they are just the opposite. Thick black smoke quickly makes it completely dark and almost impossible to see around you, making it difficult to find your way.

• Cooking is the primary cause of residential fires.

• Heat from a fire can kill. Temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at near the floor and rise to over 600 degrees at eye level.

• The risk of dying form fires in homes without smoke detectors is twice as high as in homes that have working smoke alarms.

• Most fire related deaths occur at night, while family members are asleep.

Source: National Fire Protection Association Fire Loss in the U.S. During 2006, USFA’s Statistics in the United States in 2007 and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission document #5077.

• Insects may have clogged the sensor chamber. Clean the smoke detector with the soft brush attachment on your vacuum. To prevent repeat problems, clean and treat the surrounding area with insect repellent (DO NOT SPRAY THE SMOKE DETECTOR ITSELF).

• You may have experienced a power interruption. Hardwired smoke detectors may sound briefly when power is interrupted then restored.

• If you have hard wired smoke detectors, you may have a loose electrical connection on your AC or AC/DC smoke alarm. In AC or AC/DC smoke alarms, loose connections can intermittently disconnect power to the smoke alarm. The effect is the same as a power failure. When power is restored, the units may sound briefly.

Smoke alarms are a very important part of any home fire safety plan, being an early warning to help your family escape from a fire. And although you likely have smoke alarms in your home, are you sure that they are working properly?

In addition to replacing the batteries at least once a year or when the smoke alarm is making a ‘chirping sound’, it is also important to test them each month.

Do you know the best places for smoke alarms in your home?

Smoke alarms should be installed:

• either on the ceiling or 6-12 inches below the ceiling on the wall

• away from air vents or registers and high air flow or ‘dead’ spots, such as at the top of a peaked roof, or in corners between ceilings and walls

• outside the bedroom areas

• on each level in the home

• in each sleeping room

• away from the kitchen or bathroom to prevent nuisance alarms

And most importantly, never disable your smoke alarm

• Install a carbon monoxide alarm outside every sleeping area and on every level of your home.

• Place CO alarms at least 15 feet away from fuel-burning appliances to reduce nuisance alarms.

• Test alarms each month and replace them every seven years.

• Have all gas-, oil- or coal-burning appliances inspected by a technician every year to ensure they are working properly.

• Never use a stove to heat your home.

• Do not use a grill, generator or camping stove inside your home or garage or near a window.

• Never leave a car, SUV or motorcycle engine running inside a garage, even if the garage door is open.

For more information on carbon monoxide poisoning as well as other home safety tips, visit www.safekids.org.

1. Smoke detector alarms are a must-have in your home

* Set a reminder on your cell phone, email calendar so you don’t forget to check regularly that they are in good working order!

2. Practice your fire escape regularly

* Most family’s do not even have a plan, please make one today

3. Place space heaters away from flammable materials

4. Keep matches and lighters away from your child

* Have a zero tolerance rule for older children, this must have a stern consequence

5. Teach and Practice the “stop, drop and roll”

* Children love to practice this one so make it fun!

6. Take care of your cooking habits in the kitchen

* Know how to put out grease fires, kitchen fires can spread very, very quickly

7. Have approved fire extinguishers in your home and make sure everyone who is old enough knows how to use them – Practice this

Poisons aren’t limited to ingestible substances; there are other poisonous hazards which can’t be sensed.

Carbon monoxide, or CO, the colorless, odorless gas, is the number one cause of accidental poisoning in the United States. A recent survey conducted by First Alert, the manufacturer of smoke alarms and CO detectors, revealed that only 51 percent of respondents have CO alarms in their homes, indicating that prevention education is still very much needed. For maximum protection, safety experts recommend putting one alarm on each level, especially near sleeping areas. Most CO alarms are available at national retailers, and most cost less than $25.

Radon can also be found in homes, in some cases at levels harmful enough to cause serious illness and even death. The same First Alert survey found that Americans are much less aware of the dangers of this gas, with only 41 percent perceiving it as being very dangerous. Research conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests that there’s far too little education about radon’s harmful effects. According to the EPA, radon is the second most frequent cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking. Homeowners can purchase a radon test kit for under $25. Source: http://www.silive.com

2) If you can, get “interconnected” smoke alarms. When one alarm goes off, they all sound. This means the alarm near you will go off sooner. It gives you more time to get your family outside to safety.

3) There are two kinds of smoke alarms – photoelectric and ionization.  If possible, get some of each kind or buy “combination” smoke alarms that have both types of sensors.

4) Make sure your smoke alarms have been tested for safety by a laboratory.  Look for a mark on the box such as ETL, UL or CSA.