Long Beach
Fire Department

The Long Beach Fire Department Reminds Long Beach Residents:

Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives!

LONG BEACH, CA. – October 7, 2014 – This week is Fire Prevention week and the Long Beach Fire Department wants to make sure that we encourage members of our community to take appropriate actions to make sure our homes, workplace, local businesses, places of worship, and other public areas are free from hazards and that appropriate steps are taken to place smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers in appropriate places.

Working smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a fire. That’s the message behind this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month!”

Along with firefighters and safety advocates nationwide, the Long Beach Fire Department  is joining forces with the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) during Fire Prevention Week, October 5-11, to remind local residents about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home and testing them monthly.

According to the latest NFPA research, working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire in half. Meanwhile, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

“In a fire, seconds count,” said Long Beach Fire Chief Michael Duree. “Roughly half of home fire deaths result from fires reported at night between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most people are asleep. Home smoke alarms can alert people to a fire before it spreads, giving everyone enough time to get out.”

This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign includes the following smoke alarm messages:

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 do.

Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.

Batteries need to be replaced when you change your clocks for daylight savings, or when you hear the alarm “chirp” – that means that the battery is low.

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.
To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities in Long Beach, California, please contact the Long Beach Fire Department at (562) 570-2598. To learn more about smoke alarms and “Working Smoke Alarms Saves Lives”, visit NFPA’s Web site at www.firepreventionweek.org.