What should the public know about home smoke detectors/alarms?
Smoke Alarms Save Lives The majority of fatal home fires happen at night when people are asleep. Contrary to popular belief, the smell of smoke may not wake a sleeping person. The poisonous gases and smoke produced by a fire can numb the senses and put you into a deeper sleep. Inexpensive household smoke alarms sound an alarm alerting you to a fire. By giving you time to escape, smoke alarms cut your risk of dying in a home fire nearly in half. Smoke alarms save so many lives that most states have laws requiring them in private homes. Choosing an Alarm Be sure that the smoke alarms you buy carry the label of an independent testing laboratory, Underwriters Laboratory (UL) for example. Several types of alarms are available. Some run on batteries, others on household electrical current. Some detect smoke using an “ionization” sensor, others use a “photoelectric” detection system. All listed smoke alarms, regardless of type, will offer adequate protection provided they are installed and ma
