FOR BREaAKING tNEWS VIhSIT WWWo.QNS.COmM e FEBRUARY 20, 2020 •AT HOME • THE QUEENS COURIER 53
How to keep your home
and family safe from fi res
According to the National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA), three out
of fi ve home fi re 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-and-true
safety practices - can help keep homes
and families safer from the threat of home
fi res. Th e 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. Th e 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. Th ey 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: Th ere are two
main types of smoke alarms - photoelectric
and ionization - which utilize different
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. Th e NFPA and other safety
advocates recommend having dual-sensor
alarms because they provide the best
potential for early detection of all types of
common household fi res.
Th e First Alert 10-Year Alarm Life Dual
Sensor Smoke & Fire Alarm provides the
peace of mind of a dual-sensor alarm
with the convenience of a 10-year sealed
lithium battery. Th e 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
/www.fi
/WWWo.QNS.COm
/www.fi
/rstalert.com
