Every year, approximately 2,600 Americans die in home fires. Over half of these deaths occur between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., when residents are typically sleeping. Smoke and toxic gases from a home fire are as deadly as heat and flames. Just two or three breaths of toxic smoke can render you unconscious. The majority of fire victims die or are injured from exposure to smoke and toxic gases, such as carbon monoxide, not actual burns. In addition, smoke obscures vision, decreasing your ability to escape.

Smoke alarms save lives, prevent injuries and minimize property damage by detecting fires early and alerting residents, allowing crucial time to escape. The risk of dying from a fire in a home without working smoke alarms is twice as high as in a home that has working smoke alarms.

What types of smoke alarms are available?

There are many different brands of smoke alarms available on the market but they fall under two basic types — ionization and photoelectric.

• Ionization alarms sound more quickly when a flaming, fast moving fire occurs. 

• Photoelectric alarms are quicker at sensing smoldering, smoky fires. 

• There are also combination (dual sensor) smoke alarms that combine ionization and photoelectric into one unit.

Because both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms are better at detecting distinctly different yet potentially fatal fires and because home residents cannot predict what type of fire might start in a home, the U.S. Fire Administration recommends the installation of both ionization and photoelectric or dual sensor smoke alarms.

In addition to the basic types of smoke alarms, there are alarms made to meet the needs of people with hearing disabilities. These alarms may use strobe lights that flash and/or vibrate to assist in alerting those who are unable to hear standard smoke alarms when they sound.

How long will my smoke alarm last?

Most alarms installed today have a life span of about 8-10 years. After this time, the entire unit should be replaced. It is a good idea to write the date of purchase with a marker on the inside of your alarm so you will know when to replace it. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for replacement.

Install Smoke Alarms

• Outside of bedrooms or wherever people sleep.

• Inside every bedroom.

• Away from air vents or registers and other spaces with high air flow.

• Best location: on the ceiling in the center of the room, at least 12 inches from any wall

• Second best location: on a wall 12 inches below the ceiling

Mainain Smoke Alarms

• Always follow the manufacturer’s written instructions.

• Test alarms every month (press the test button).

• Change batteries at least once a year.

• Pick a date you will remember — when you change your clocks, your birthday, or a holiday.

• Some smoke alarms come with 10-year batteries that do not need to be changed annually.

• Replace the entire smoke alarm every 10 years.

• Combination alarms may need to be replaced after seven years

Carbon Monoxide Detector

 A carbon monoxide detector or CO detector is a device that detects the presence of the carbon monoxide gas to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. CO is a colorless and odorless compound produced by incomplete combustion. It is often referred to as the “silent killer” because it is virtually undetectable without using detection technology. Elevated levels of CO can be dangerous to humans depending on the amount present and length of exposure. Smaller concentrations can be harmful over longer periods of time, while increasing concentrations require diminishing exposure times to be harmful.

CO detectors are designed to measure CO levels over time and sound an alarm before dangerous levels of CO accumulate in an environment, giving people adequate warning to safely ventilate the area or evacuate. Some system-connected detectors also alert a monitoring service that can dispatch emergency services if necessary.

While CO detectors do not serve as smoke detectors and vice versa, dual smoke/CO detectors are also sold. Smoke detectors detect the smoke generated by flaming or smoldering fires whereas CO detectors detect and warn people about dangerous CO buildup caused, for example, by a malfunctioning fuel-burning device. In the home, some common sources of CO include open flames, space heaters, water heaters, blocked chimneys or running a car inside a garage.

The devices, which retail for $15–$60 and are widely available, can either be battery-operated or AC powered (with or without a battery backup). Battery lifetimes have been increasing as the technology has developed, and certain battery powered devices now advertise a battery lifetime of more than six years. Some smoke detectors are equipped with an internal rechargeable battery backup that recharges when the detector is receiving AC power. All CO detectors have “test” buttons like smoke detectors.

CO detectors can be placed near the ceiling or near the floor because CO is very close to the same density as air.

Michael Heath is president of the St. John Professional Firefighters Association.