Why Are Smoke Alarms Important?

Playing the Numbers

• The National Fire Protection Association estimates that, while more than 95 percent of U.S. households have smoke alarms, over 45 percent of all fires take place in homes with no smoke alarms. If you don't have one in your home, your risk of a fire goes up exponentially. Furthermore, about 65 percent of all fire-based fatalities in 2000 to 2004 came from homes without smoke alarms. Odds that chilling tend to speak for themselves.

Nighttime Fire Safety

• The majority of fire-based fatalities take place at night: when people are asleep and may not detect the spreading flames. Smoke alarms keep that risk down by alerting everyone in the household when smoke is detected. Proper placement of the smoke alarms--near bedrooms and at points high up the walls and ceilings--allow them to go off sooner rather than later, allowing residents to flee the building before they are trapped. Experts recommend preparing at least two routes of escape from your home and keeping the batteries in your smoke alarm fresh by replacing them every six months.

Alerts

• In addition to alerting residents, smoke alarms can alert neighbors and other people nearby in case the residents are away at work or school. More sophisticated models can dial the fire department as well, and some can even let the resident know there is trouble via email or cell phone calls. By alerting those nearby, smoke alarms can keep the fire from spreading and allow help to arrive before the flames consume the entire building. Experts recommend testing your alarm at least once a month to make sure it can alert people when you aren't around.

Invisible Threats

• Though fire and smoke are visibly detectable, they aren't always obvious, especially if the resident is in another part of the house when the fire starts. Furthermore, fire may contain invisible threats such as carbon monoxide gas, which people can't detect until it's too late. A smoke alarm, with its powerful sensors and ability to detect invisible threats, forms an additional barrier of protection. Make sure your smoke alarm can detect carbon monoxide as well, or buy a separate carbon monoxide detector for your home.