NY FIREMEN’S ASSOCIATION RENEWS CALL TO INSTALL HOME SMOKE DETECTORS IN LIGHT OF TRAGIC FATAL FIRE IN OSWEGO COUNTY
January 6, 2009
(NEW YORK) – The Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) offers its prayers and thoughts to the family and friends of those who lost their lives in the tragic house fire in Oswego County this past Sunday. The fire is a somber reminder of the need for homeowners to install and properly maintain smoke detectors: news reports say there were no smoke alarms installed inside the home. Eight people – including children – were killed in the blaze.
“Our hearts go out to the family in their time of immeasurable loss,” said Thomas R. Cuff, President of FASNY. “This terrible tragedy emphasizes the critical importance of installing and maintaining smoke detectors in your home. These alarms are there for one purpose: to help you get out alive. It’s the easiest thing you can do to help protect you and your loved ones. FASNY urges every homeowner to properly install and maintain smoke detectors, and develop and practice a home fire escape plan. These simple steps can mean the difference between life and death.”
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), local fire departments responded to almost 400,000 house fires in 2007. These fires caused 2,865 civilian deaths and 13,600 civilian injuries, as well as $7.4 billion in direct damage. Almost two-thirds (65%) of reported home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
Here are NFPA tips on smoke detector usage and maintenance:
- Test smoke alarms/detectors at least once a month by using the "test button". Do NOT use an open flame.
- Clean the units by vacuuming or dusting in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
- Use the beginning and end of Daylight Saving Time to install new batteries in all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors OR when the alarm chirps (warning that the battery is dying). Do NOT disable the “chirping” feature by removing batteries. The sound may be a nuisance, but it is there for a reason.
- Keep batteries in smoke alarms/detectors; do not remove them for other purposes. Nuisance activations can be addressed by moving a smoke alarm/detector farther away from kitchen smoke or bathroom steam or with proper ventilation, such as opening a window, and by more frequent cleaning. If the problem persists without identifiable cause – that is, if the smoke detector “goes off” even when you’re not cooking, etc. – it may have malfunctioned. Replace the unit.
NFPA tips for installing smoke alarms/detectors:
- Install at least one smoke alarm on every floor of your home (including the basement) and in or near each sleeping area. If you sleep with the door closed, NFPA recommends installing smoke alarms/detectors inside the room. In new homes, smoke alarms/ detectors are required in all sleeping rooms, per the National Fire Alarm Code.
- Because smoke rises, alarms should be mounted high on walls or ceilings; wall-mounted alarms should be positioned 4-12 inches away from the ceiling.
- Ceiling-mounted alarms should be positioned 4 inches away from the nearest wall; on vaulted (“cathedral”) ceilings, be sure to mount the alarm at the highest point of the ceiling.
- Smoke alarms/detectors should not be installed near a window, door or forced-air register where drafts could interfere with their operation.
- ONLY purchase smoke alarms/detectors with the UL label.
- Smoke alarms/detectors that are hard-wired to the home's electrical system should be installed by a qualified electrician.
For more information on smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and other information on fire safety and prevention, including how to develop your own home fire escape plan, visit www.nfpa.org.
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About FASNY
Founded in 1872, the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) represents the interests of the more than 100,000 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel in New York State. For more information, visit www.fasny.com.
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