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It’s that time of year. The morning and evenings are forecast to be cooler, meaning some heat is needed, as well as a jacket. It’s fall.

This week is also Fire Prevention Week, and the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office is highlighting the importance of working smoke alarms through fire safety messages and events.

The goal of this year’s campaign strives to educate everyone about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home.

It’s simple, working smoke alarms save lives! Due to synthetic materials used in modern construction, homes burn hotter and faster, while also emitting toxic smoke, limiting the time you have to escape to less than 2 to 3 minutes. The early warning from smoke alarms could save your life.

Unfortunately, most Americans don’t test their alarms to ensure they’re working properly. According to the National Fire Protection Association’s recent survey, while nearly all U.S. households (99 percent) report having at least one smoke alarm, more than half of U.S. households (61 percent) test their smoke alarms less frequently than recommended (at least once a month). A third (33 percent) report never testing their smoke alarms. 

According to the NFPA, working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half (60 percent), while the majority of civilian home fire deaths continue to occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working alarms. 

“It’s a simple fact: Smoke alarms won’t help protect your family and loved ones if they are not working properly,” said TDCI Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Carter Lawrence. “By ensuring your home has working smoke alarms, you can help protect the lives of your family and the lives of firefighters who risk their health and safety every time they respond to an emergency.”  

Remember:  

– Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home. 

– Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities. 

– Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.

– Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or don’t respond when tested. 

To help provide smoke alarms to Tennesseans, the SFMO created the “Get Alarmed Tennessee?” free smoke alarm program in 2012. Since its inception, over 500 lives have been saved. According to the NFPA, smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half (54%). Meanwhile, roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance, making it the longest-running public health observance in the United States. During Fire Prevention Week, children, adults, and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters and other public safety educators provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires.

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of Oct. 9 in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on Oct. 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage. This horrific conflagration killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.