Biannual time change is a good time to check, change detector batteries

The following is one of a series of articles on Community Risk Reduction presented by the Muscatine Fire Department.

Edited with Afterlight Photo

MUSCATINE, Iowa – One of the best ways to practice fire safety is to install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors at various locations in the home or in the business. But with that comes the responsibility to make sure these devices remain in proper working order.

The spring and fall dates for changing the clocks (Spring Forward and Fall Back) have been associated for many years now with another campaign … checking on and changing detector batteries.

At 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 10, Muscatine residents will join with citizens from throughout the United States in turning their clocks “forward” for Daylight Savings Time. Many people will use this opportunity to change the home’s smoke alarm batteries as well.

“Having smoke detectors in the home and making sure they are working properly saves lives,” Firefighter Brandon Rheingans said. “Muscatine Fire reminds residents that with the changing of the clock they should also remember to test their smoke detectors and change the smoke detector batteries.”

Although a large percentage of homes have smoke alarms, many may not work because of dead or missing batteries. These nonworking alarms give residents a false sense of security. To check an alarm, firefighters recommend pushing the test button. The alarm should sound a loud beeping sound by the time you count to 10. If not, it needs to be replaced immediately.

The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) did not originate the long standing “Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries” campaign, but also encourages the public to change their smoke alarm batteries when turning back clocks in the fall or ahead in the spring.

Because working smoke alarms are a critical element of home fire safety, NFPA supports any and all efforts to reinforce the importance of working batteries.

Smoke alarms are the single most important means of preventing fire-related deaths in the home. They warn people who would otherwise be overcome by toxic smoke gases in their sleep. Properly installed and maintained, they will give residents those crucial minutes they will need to escape.

• Each year there are over 400,000 residential fires that cause nearly 4,000 deaths, over 18,000 injuries and $4.7 billion in property losses.

• More than half of all fire fatalities occur in homes without a working smoke detector.
• In a fire, smoke spreads farther and faster than fire. More people die from breathing smoke than from burns.
• When people are asleep, deadly smoke fumes can cause them to sink into unconsciousness and then death, long before flames ever reach them.

“Working smoke alarms provide an early warning to the dangers of smoke and fire,” Rheingans said. “This early warning is particularly important for those most at risk, such as children and seniors. Changing smoke alarm batteries once a year is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce these tragic deaths and injuries.”

If residents do not own a smoke alarm or need help changing batteries or checking alarms, they should contact the fire department to receive assistance.

“If you ever have any concerns with your smoke detectors, reach out to the Fire Department,” Rheingans said. “We will be happy to answer any questions you might have.”

Residents can call the Muscatine Fire Department directly at 563-263-9233.

Smoke alarms in the market fall under two basic categories: ionization and photoelectric. Ionization smoke alarms react quickly to open flame fires; photoelectric smoke alarms react to smoldering fires. A dual sensor smoke alarm combines the features from ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms.

In addition, smoke alarms can be battery-operated or hard-wired. The difference between the two is that hard-wired smoke alarms are linked together so when one alarm goes off, all the alarms in the home activate.

Battery-operated smoke alarms can be powered by a 10-year non-replaceable lithium battery or by a disposable 9-volt battery.

When installing smoke alarms in the home, be sure to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Smoke alarms should be installed on every floor of your home as well as on the inside and outside of every bedroom.

To maintain your smoke alarms, you must test the alarms monthly. For battery-operated smoke alarms with a disposable battery, replace the battery twice a year. For battery-operated smoke alarms with a lithium battery, since it is non-replaceable, replace the entire smoke alarm according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

A trick to remember when it’s time to change your smoke alarm batteries is to change them when you change your clocks (fall backward, spring forward) to make it a habit. For hard-wired smoke alarms, replace the backup battery at least once a year. A smoke alarm should be replaced every 10 years.

Following is information to help make sure all smoke alarms have working batteries, accounting for the multiple types of smoke alarms on the market and their varying battery requirements:

• Smoke alarms with non-replaceable 10-year batteries are designed to remain effective for up to 10 years. If the alarm chirps, warning that the battery is low, replace the entire smoke alarm right away.
• Smoke alarms with any other type of battery need a new battery at least once a year. If that alarm chirps, warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
• When replacing a battery, follow the manufacturer’s list of batteries on the back of the alarm or manufacturer’s instructions. Manufacturer’s instructions are specific to the batteries (brand and model) that must be used. The smoke alarm may not work properly if a different kind of battery is used.

SLEEPING INDIVIDUALS DO NOT SMELL SMOKE

Assistant Fire Chief Mike Hartman noted that research has shown that sleeping individuals do not smell smoke so the sounds emitting from a smoke detector are important to rousing sleeping individuals.

“Studies have also shown that children, especially, will sleep through an alarm that beeps because it sounds a lot like an alarm clock,” Hartman said. “The alarms that actually speak to you have been shown to greatly increase a person’s ability to escape a fire.”

Pre-teenage children don’t wake up to traditional high-frequency tone alarms according to research from the Center for Injury Research and Policy. Detectors that speak or vibrate when activated can help wake children or Individuals with visual or hearing impairments.

A variety of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are available and finding the right one for your family situation is important, Hartman said.

“Also be sure to check the date on the smoke detector,” Hartman said.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) also recommends replacing smoke alarms in homes every 10 years and those that actually speak warnings are more effective in saving lives than those alarms that just beep.

The Muscatine Fire Department also recommends photoelectric alarms with a 10-year lithium battery and to mark the date of installation on the detectors.

“These detectors do not last forever,” Hartman said. “It is important that you check the date on the detectors and replace those that are seven years old or more.”

If you must smoke, be safe when smoking around the house

The following is one of a series of articles on Community Risk Reduction presented by the Muscatine Fire Department.

MUSCATINE, Iowa – The focus this week is on smoking safety in and around your home. With warm temperatures and high winds, it is especially important to be responsible with discarded cigarettes. The following article provides more information on smoking and home fire safety tips.

The place where we feel safest, at home, is where most smoking materials structure fires, deaths, and injuries occur. Smoking materials, including cigarettes, pipes, and cigars, are the leading cause of fire deaths but are preventable.

“Carelessly discarded or abandoned smoking materials cause more fire deaths than any other type of residential fire,” David Grafton, Muscatine Fire Department firefighter, said. “Smoking material fires may smolder for hours before the first flames appear, and that can create a dangerous situation especially if smoke detectors are not present or not working properly. For most people who died, escape was even more difficult because they were asleep.”

An article published by Hartford Insurance noted that several factors contribute to the high fatality rates of cigarette and smoking fires. Smoking materials are often in close proximity to people.

“In fact, a leading cause of smoking fire fatalities involves the person falling asleep or passing out with a lit cigarette,” the article said. “The lit cigarette ignites the mattress, couch or upholstered furniture where the person is sleeping and because the fire is so close to the person upon igniting, it is difficult to escape harm.”

The most common materials to first ignite are mattresses and bedding, followed by trash, and upholstered furniture. Materials in upholstered furniture ignite quickly, consume a great deal of oxygen and release toxins.

The 2021 national estimates for residential building smoking fires and losses show that there were 7,800 fires, 275 deaths, 750 injuries, and $361,500,000 in dollar loss. The U.S. Fire Administration states that it is important for smokers to know the steps they can take to keep themselves and their families safe from fire.

According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) the risk of dying in a home structure fire caused by smoking materials rises with age. It is not just the smoker who is most at risk, it is also family members or those residing in the structure with them. One out of four fatal victims are not the smoker whose cigarette started the fire.

If you smoke, use only fire-safe cigarettes. In 2003, the United States began requiring that cigarettes be manufactured with a reduced propensity to burn when not being smoked, and that was one factor in a roughly 20 percent reduction in fire related deaths between 2003 and 2010.

Smoking Safety

• Keep smoking materials out of the reach of children. Keep cigarettes, lighters, matches, and other smoking materials up high out of the reach of children, in a locked cabinet. Teach young children that matches and lighters are tools, not toys.
• Smoke outside. Many things in your home can catch on fire if they touch something hot like a cigarette or ashes. It is always safer to smoke outside. Most deaths result from fires that started in living rooms, family rooms, and dens or in bedrooms.
• Smoke only where it is allowed. If you smoke, only smoke where it is allowed. Use deep, sturdy ashtrays.
• Take care when disposing of cigarettes. Do not throw cigarettes where they can easily catch fire: into bushes, potted plants or landscaping, peat moss, dried grasses or mulch.
• Put your cigarette out in an ashtray or bucket with sand. Use ashtrays with a wide base so they won’t tip over and start a fire, and place it away from anything that can burn.
• Put cigarettes out all the way. Do this every time. Don’t walk away from lit cigarettes and other smoking materials. Put water on the ashes and butts to make sure they are really out before you put them in the trash.
• Douse the ashes. Before you throw away butts and ashes, make sure they are out, and dousing in water or sand is the best way to do that.
• Never smoke in bed. Mattresses and bedding can catch on fire easily. Do not smoke in bed because you might fall asleep with a lit cigarette.
• Be alert. Do not smoke after taking medicine that makes you tired. You may not be able to prevent or escape from a fire if you are sleepy, have taken medicine that makes you tired, or have drunk alcohol
• Never smoke around medical oxygen. Medical oxygen can explode if a flame or spark is nearby. Even if the oxygen is turned off, it can still catch on fire. Medical oxygen can cause materials to ignite more easily and make fires burn at a faster rate than normal. It can make an existing fire burn faster and hotter.

Electronic Cigarette Safety Tips

• The main cause of e-cigarette fires and explosions is failure of the lithium-ion batteries.
• Don’t charge your e-cigarette with a phone or tablet charger.
• Don’t charge your e-cigarette overnight.
• Don’t leave charging e-cigarettes unattended.
• Store loose batteries for your e-cigarette in a case.
• Keep e-cigarettes away from metal objects.
• E-cigarettes should be used with caution.

Smoking & Home Fire Safety(PDF)