Smoke Alarms Save Lives! How to Use a Smoke Alarm to Stay Safe
Every 20 seconds, a fire department is called to respond to a fire somewhere in the United States. Once a minute, a fire occurs inside a structure. Sadly, the home is the most likely place that we have of dying in a fire or fire-related smoke inhalation injury. Four out of five fire-related deaths among civilians occur in the home. Thankfully, home fires and deaths have been declining since 1977, partly because of guideline changes for smoke alarms, but more still needs to be done:
- Public education campaigns on how to prevent fires and how to avoid serious injury or death if fire occurs
- Properly using and maintaining smoke alarms
- Developing and practicing escape plans once an alarm goes off
- Policy to encourage wider use of residential sprinkler systems
- Regulations to make household products more fire-safe
- Creating plans and policies to address the specific needs of groups at high risk of fire injury and death: the elderly, the disabled, the young, and the poor
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