State Fire Marshal emphasizes working smoke alarms during Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 5-11

ST. PAUL - Four people were killed last year in Minnesota homes without smoke alarms or with inoperable smoke alarms, according to a news release from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 5-11. The message of this year’s campaign, “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month!” is that testing smoke alarms monthly can make a life-saving difference in a fire.
State Fire Marshal Bruce West reminded residents to have working smoke alarms in the home and to test them monthly.
“In a fire, seconds count. Smoke alarms can alert people to a fire before it spreads, giving everyone enough time to get out,” Bruce West said. “Smoke alarms can prevent tragedies.”
According to the latest National Fire Protection Association research, working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire in half.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety provided guidelines for effectively using smoke alarms:
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
• Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. This way, when one sounds, they all sound.
• Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.
• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or sooner if they don’t respond properly.
• Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm and understands what to do when they hear it.
Fire departments statewide will be hosting educational and family oriented activities during Fire Prevention Week to help residents learn the importance of having working smoke alarms and testing them monthly.
To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities in your town, contact your local fire department. More about smoke alarms and Fire Prevention Week is available on NFPA’s website at
www.firepreventionweek.org .