Focus on Home Fire Safety During Fire Prevention Week

Publicado 9-29-17

October 8-14 is Fire Prevention Week. The Sevierville Fire Department offers the following information to help keep you safe at home. For more fire safety information, visit the SFD web pages at www.seviervilletn.org. The SFD offers free comprehensive fire safety inspections of residences and businesses. Call 865-453-9276 for more information.

En un incendio, los segundos cuentan. Segundos pueden significar la diferencia entre los residentes de nuestra comunidad que escapan de manera segura de un incendio o que sus vidas terminan en tragedia.

• Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home, and practice using different ways out.

• Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.

• Make sure the address/number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find.

• Close doors behind you as you leave – this may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.

• Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.

What You Need to Know About Home Smoke Alarms

• Why Are Smoke Alarms So Important? Simply put—smoke alarms save lives. Smoke spreads fast when there is a fire, and smoke alarms give you time to get out. Smoke alarms could reduce your risk of dying from a fire in your home by almost half.

• Are Smoke Alarms Expensive? No! There are tested and approved units on the market for $10-$15. Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms are considered to be one of the least expensive means of providing an early warning of a potentially deadly fire.

• Where Should I Install Smoke Alarms? Smoke alarms should be installed as follows:
- En cada dormitorio
- En cada pasillo que conduce a un dormitorio.
- On every level of the home (including the basement).
Places to avoid include: garages, kitchens, and bathrooms. Consult the manufacturer’s manual for detailed installation instructions. Most instructions recommend installing smoke alarms on the ceiling, or on the walls between 6 and 12 inches below the ceiling. Avoid installing alarms too close to heating ducts, air vents, and fluorescent lights.

• How Do I Maintain My Smoke Alarm? Smoke alarms can only work if they are properly located, installed, and maintained. Roughly two-thirds of home fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no smoke alarms that work.
- Pruebe las alarmas al menos una vez al mes presionando el botón de prueba.
- Las alarmas de humo con baterías no reemplazables están diseñadas para funcionar durante 10 años. Si la alarma suena, advirtiendo que la batería está baja, reemplace toda la alarma inmediatamente.
- Para detectores de humo con cualquier otro tipo de batería, reemplace las baterías al menos una vez al año. Si la alarma suena, reemplace la batería de inmediato.
- Si una alarma de humo no responde cuando se prueba, es necesario reemplazarla.
- Gently vacuum the grill work of your alarm to remove dust, bugs, and other debris that may prevent the alarm from functioning properly.

• My Smoke Alarms Are Installed & Working, What Now? Make sure your family knows the sound of a smoke alarm and what it means. Talk to them about what to do in the event that the alarm goes off. People who wake up to the sound of a smoke alarm are often confused, especially children and the elderly. To avoid panic, make sure that you have rehearsed an exit plan.

If you can’t afford a smoke alarm the SFD will install them for free, while supplies last. Our smoke alarms are made available through local donations and the State of Tennessee Fire Marshal’s Office in an effort to reduce injury and death due to fire across the State.