Smoke /Fire In Your Home
SMOKE/FIRE IN YOUR HOME
Smoke alarms save lives, and they're here to protect what matters the most. Again smoke alarms save lives. Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. It’s important to have enough smoke alarms in your home. If there is a fire in your home, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you time to get out. Fire research has demonstrated that with today’s modern furnishings, fires can spread much more rapidly than in the past when more natural materials were used. Because of this, having a sufficient number of properly located smoke alarms is essential to maximize the amount of available escape time. Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home. Install alarms in the basement. Smoke alarms should be interconnected. When one sounds, they all sound. Test all smoke alarms at least once a month. People who are hard-of-hearing or deaf can use special alarms. These alarms have strobe lights and bed shakers. Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old. Once a month press the test button to be sure the alarm is working. Today’s smoke alarms will be more technologically advanced to respond to a multitude of fire conditions, yet mitigate false alarms.
Ionization and Photoelectric Sensing Technologies:
Smoke alarms save lives. Because no one can know when a fire will occur or what type of fire they will have in their home, virtually every recognized fire authority and safety expert – including the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) - recommend having both photoelectric and ionization alarms for optimal protection against flaming and smoldering fires.
Consumer Product Safety Commission:
Because both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms are better at detecting distinctly different yet potentially fatal fires, and because homeowners cannot predict what type of fire might start in a home, CPSC staff recommends consumers install both ionization and photoelectric type smoke alarms in their home (www.cpsc.gov, July 2016)
Kidde supports and states this recommendation on its packaging, website and in its owner's manuals. Kidde offers photoelectric and ionization smoke alarms as well as a dual-sensor alarm that combines both technologies in one unit, all of which meet the current UL standard for smoke alarms.
Home Safety Council:
For the best detection and notification protection, install both ionization- and photoelectric-type smoke alarms. https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Safety-equipment/Smoke-alarms/Safety-messages-about-smoke-alarms