With national Fire Prevention Week occurring from Oct. 4-10, the nonprofit Illinois Fire Safety Alliance encourages Illinois residents to practice fire safety and prevention throughout the entire year.
This year's theme is Hear the Beep Where You Sleep. According to the National Fire Protection Association, the week's sponsor, roughly half of home fire deaths result from overnight fires when most people are asleep. Smoke alarms alert residents of a fire so they can safely escape. Working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a fire by half.
“This year’s Fire Prevention Week message is a great reminder to homeowners that smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of a home,” IFSA Executive Director Philip Zaleski said. “And it’s important to make sure smoke alarms are tested monthly and have their batteries replaced twice each year to make sure they are functioning properly.”
Zaleski said a good reminder to change smoke alarm batteries is when homeowners change their clocks to “spring forward” an hour when daylight saving time begins in the spring and “fall back” when it ends in the fall.
For information about smoke alarms and FPW, the IFSA recommends visiting www.FirePreventionWeek.org.