Fire Chief Smedley’s Top 8 Smoke Alarm Safety Tips for the Weekend
An extra hour of sleep? Yes, please! An extra few minutes to make your home safer? Even better.
Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday, November 1st. While most of our clocks will change automatically, there’s one important safety check that still needs you: your smoke alarms.
Fire Chief Corey A. Smedley is asking residents to take a few minutes this weekend to check the devices that could make all the difference in a fire emergency.
Working smoke alarms provide early warning so you and your family can escape safely. But smoke alarms don’t last forever — even if they still beep when tested.
1. Smoke Alarms Save Lives. Period.
A working smoke alarm is one of the simplest, most affordable ways to protect your family. Fires can spread quickly, and early warning gives you more time to escape. Every second counts.
2. Location, Location, Location.
Where you install smoke alarms matters. Make sure you have alarms:
• Inside every bedroom.
• Outside each sleeping area.
• On every level of your home, including the basement.
More protection. More warning. More time to escape.
3. One Sounds. They All Sound.
For the best protection, smoke alarms should be interconnected. When one detects smoke, every connected alarm sounds throughout your home. A fire starting in the basement? Interconnected alarms can help alert someone sleeping upstairs, too.
4. Check the Date. Replace at 10.
Smoke alarms have an expiration date. Their sensors and electronic components age, making them less reliable over time. Replace smoke alarms every 10 years, or sooner if recommended by the manufacturer or if they fail to operate properly.
Not sure how old yours are? Look for the manufacture date on the back of the alarm.
Remember: pressing the test button does not tell you whether an aging smoke sensor will reliably detect a fire. The sensor wears out over time.
5. Paint the Walls. Not the Alarms.
Giving a room a fresh coat of paint? Keep that paint away from your smoke alarms. Paint can block openings and interfere with the alarm’s ability to detect smoke. A painted alarm may not work when you need it most.
6. Make Testing a Monthly Habit.
Press the test button on every smoke alarm at least once a month. It takes just seconds. Set a phone reminder, mark your calendar, or choose the first Saturday of every month.
A small check. A lifesaving impact.
7. Dust Happens. Keep Alarms Clean.
Dust and debris can interfere with smoke alarm performance and contribute to nuisance alarms. When you test your alarms, check whether they need cleaning. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to gently clean the exterior.
8. Hear a Chirp? Don’t Ignore It.
A chirping alarm needs attention. Check the manufacturer’s instructions to find out what the sound means and what action to take. For a hardwired alarm with a replaceable backup battery, it may be time for a new battery. For an alarm with a sealed, 10-year battery, the entire alarm may need replacement.
Never disconnect or disable an alarm to silence the chirping.
Working Alarms Warn You. A Practiced Plan Helps You Get Out.
When a smoke alarm sounds, everyone needs to know what to do. Make a home fire escape plan and practice it together.
Identify two ways out of every room, where possible, and choose an outdoor meeting place a safe distance from your home.
Build your plan around the abilities and needs of everyone in your household. Consider mobility, hearing, vision, and other needs. Decide in advance who will help young children or anyone who needs assistance — and make sure that help is available.
Include pets in your planning, too, but never delay your escape or go back inside to find them. Tell firefighters if a pet is still inside.
Practice your home fire drill at least twice a year so everyone knows what to do and where to go.
If there’s a fire: get out, stay out, and call 911 from outside.
Your Weekend Safety Checklist
A few minutes this weekend can make a lifesaving difference:
✅ Push it! Test every smoke alarm.
✅ Date it! Check manufacture dates. Replace alarms that are 10 years old.
✅ Spot it! Make sure alarms are inside every bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and on every level.
✅ Hear it? Handle it! Address chirping alarms. Never disable them.
✅ Plan it. Practice it! Hold a home fire drill. Build your plan around everyone’s abilities and needs, and include your pets.
Need a Hand? We’re Here to Help!
Have questions about your smoke alarms or need assistance? Call 311 to connect with our Community Risk Reduction Team!
