WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES FEBRUARY 20, 2020 17
According to the National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA),
three out of five home fire
deaths result from fi res in properties
without working smoke alarms - oft en
due to missing alarm batteries or expired
alarms.
A new generation of home safety
technology - combined with tried-andtrue
safety practices - can help keep
homes and families safer from the
threat of home fi res. The following
are tips to keep your family safe and
healthy:
Be safe, replace: If you can’t think
of the last time you installed a smoke
alarm, chances are, it’s time to replace
your old ones. All smoke alarms - including
battery and hard-wired models
- are tested to function for 10 years.
Installing new alarms ensures you
are protected with the most advanced
smoke-sensing technologies and latest
safety features available. Conversely,
by neglecting to replace alarms, you
could be putting yourself, your family
or tenants at serious risk.
Go for a 10: One of the greatest
advancements in smoke alarm technology
in recent years has been the
development of new 10-year sealed
battery smoke alarms, such as First
Alert’s 10-Year Atom Smoke & Fire
Alarm, which consumers have used
to add fi re protection to their homes.
The Atom features an advanced smoke
entry system designed to reduce the
chances of false alarms, along with a
loud, penetrating siren. In addition,
10-year alarms provide hassle-free
protection so homeowners, property
owners and renters no longer need to
remember to replace costly batteries
for the life of their alarms. They also
eliminate the risk of having an alarm
deactivated due to battery removal.
In many areas of the country,
upgrading to 10-year sealed battery
smoke alarms is also the law. Several
states, including California, Florida,
Georgia, Maryland, Louisiana, New
York and Oregon, as well as the cities
of Phoenix, Philadelphia, Indianapolis,
Milwaukee and New York City, have
passed laws requiring 10-year battery
smoke alarms in residential buildings.
Other states and municipalities are
considering similar legislation.
Double-up on safety: There are two
main types of smoke alarms - photoelectric
and ionization - which utilize
diff erent technologies to sense smoke
and fi re. Ionization smoke alarms are
more responsive to fast-fl aming fi res,
while photoelectric smoke alarms are
generally more responsive to fi res that
begin with a long period of smoldering
(called “smoldering fi res”). Rather than
relying solely on one, install both - or a
dual-sensor alarm - to maximize your
protection. The NFPA and other safety
advocates recommend having dualsensor
alarms because they provide
the best potential for early detection of
all types of common household fi res.
The First Alert 10-Year Alarm Life
Dual Sensor Smoke & Fire Alarm
provides the peace of mind of a dualsensor
alarm with the convenience of
a 10-year sealed lithium battery. The
alarm better detects real threats and
helps to combat false or “nuisance”
alarms that may lead to device deactivation
- all while providing a decade
of protection without battery replacement.
It also signals an end-of-life
warning, notifying consumers when
it needs replacement.
Cover your bases: Even if you have
smoke alarms in your home, you and
your family may not be suffi ciently
protected if you don’t have enough
devices. To ensure the highest level
of protection from smoke and carbon
monoxide, the NFPA recommends
installing smoke alarms at the top of
each staircase and in every bedroom
or sleeping area. To put this into perspective,
the average-sized home in
America - a two-story, three-bedroom
house - needs a minimum of fi ve smoke
alarms.
To learn more about 10-year alarms
and alarm laws in your state, and for
more tips for protecting your family
from smoke, fi re and carbon monoxide,
visit http://www.fi rstalert.com.
— Courtesy BPT
AT HOME
How to keep your home safe from fi res
/www.fi
/WWW.QNS.COM
/www.fi
/rstalert.com
