Smoke Alarms

The Santa Clara County Fire Department cares about your safety! Working smoke alarms increase your chances of surviving a fire by 50%. Smoke alarms will be provided to residents based on economic need and/or installed based on a physical need. For more information about this program, please contact the Public Education Office.

Each year in the United States 3,000 people are killed in home fires

Working smoke alarms increase your chance of surviving a fire by 50%

What do I do?

There are two things that you need to do:

1. Purchase, install and maintain smoke alarms in your home.
2. Develop and practice a home escape plan with your family.

How Many and Where?

For minimum protection, install smoke alarms in each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, such as the hallway, and on every level of your home.

For maximum protection, install additional smoke alarms in each living area of your home.

Single Story Home

Two Story Home

Nuisance Alarms

If an alarm regularly responds to cooking smoke or shower steam, consider the following:

• Replace the alarm with one that has the silence button feature.
• Move the alarm further away to give cooking smoke or steam a chance to dissipate before reaching the unit.
• If ceiling mounted, move unit to a wall.
• If the unit is the ionization type, replace it with a photoelectric detector. This type of alarm is less sensitive to smaller particles and thus less affected by cooking smoke or small amounts of steam. Packaging and/or owner's manual will indicate type of alarm.

Installing Smoke Alarms

• Mount smoke alarms in the middle of the ceiling, if possible.
• For wall-mounted units, place them at least 3' (1 m) from any corner and 4-6" (10-15cm) from the ceiling.
• Do not install smoke alarms near heating or cooling ducts.
• In mobile home units, install smoke alarms on inside walls.

Smoke Alarm Placement

Maintenance

Test smoke alarms every month. For hard to reach units, use a broom handle or stick to press the test button. Replace batteries once a year. Use daylight savings time as your reminder. "Change your clocks... change your batteries." If the low-battery signal begins to chirp, replace battery immediately. Vacuum the outside covers periodically to remove dust, dirt particles and insects.

Escape Planning

• Develop an escape plan that includes two exits out of every room and a meeting place outside (e.g., mailbox or tree).
• Teach children how to operate window locks. Second story windows may need a chain ladder to enable a safe escape.
• Crawl low when exiting to avoid breathing in smoke and heat.
• Practice your plan with all family members. Remember, those with special needs may require assistance.

Safety Tips

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. Smoking is the leading cause of home fire deaths.

• Sleep with bedroom doors closed.
• Purchase and use ashtrays that have the center support feature and never smoke in bed.
• Do not leave cooking, candles or space heaters unattended.
• Store matches and lighters out of the reach of children.
• Avoid overloading electrical circuits, inspect electrical cords and appliances for damage, and use extension cords with built-in circuit breakers.

Be Safe…Replace!

Smoke alarms monitor the air 24 hours a day, every day. After 10 years, it's been on the job for over 87,000 hours.

For best protection, replace your smoke alarms every 10 years.

Do you remember when you installed your smoke alarms or how old they were when you moved in?

If you are not sure, it is best to just replace them!

FF/E (now Captain) Debbie Stocksick teaches a child how to perform a monthly smoke alarm battery check, using a broom handle, at the Cupertino Unity day, 8 Mar 2003.

Additional helpful links:

For more information about smoke alarms and specialized smoke alarms for the blind and hearing impaired, including talking, strobe (up to 177 candela), vibrating and amplified (up to 90 dB) smoke alarm products:

BRK Brands: www.brkelectronics.com or 1.800.323.9005

First Alert: www.firstalert.com or 1.800.323.9005

Gentex: www.gentex.com or 1.800.436.8391

Home Depot Supply: www.hdsupply.com

Kidde: www.kiddeus.com or 1.800.880.6788

MaxiAids (Provides a variety of products for special needs): www.maxiaids.com