Please check your smoke alarms monthly!

A 2004 U.S. telephone survey found that 96% of the households surveyed had at least one smoke alarm.
Roughly half of home fire deaths result from fires in the small percentage of homes with no smoke alarms.
Homes with smoke alarms (whether or not they are operational) typically have a death rate that is 40-50% less than the rate for homes without alarms.
In one-quarter of the reported fires in homes equipped with smoke alarms, the devices did not work. Households with non-working smoke alarms now outnumber those with no smoke alarms.
Why do smoke alarms fail? Most often because of missing, disconnected or dead batteries.
Source: NFPA's "U.S. Experience with Smoke Alarms and Other Fire Detection/Alarm Equipment."

Installation and maintenance tips

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement, making sure that there
is an alarm outside every separate sleeping area. New homes are required to have a smoke alarm in
every sleeping room and all smoke alarms must be interconnected

If you, or someone in your home is deaf or hard of hearing, consider installing
an alarm that combines flashing lights, vibration and/or sound.

Mount smoke alarms high on walls or ceilings (remember, smoke rises). Ceiling mounted alarms should be installed at least four inches away from the nearest wall; wall-mounted alarms should be installed four to 12 inches away from the ceiling. If you have ceilings that are pitched, install the alarm near the ceiling's highest point.

Don't install smoke alarms near windows, doors, or ducts where drafts might interfere with their operation.
Never paint smoke alarms. Paint, stickers, or other decorations could keep the alarms from working.

A life-saving test: check your smoke alarms regularly

Test your smoke alarms once a month, following the manufacturer's instructions.
Replace the batteries in your smoke alarm twice a year, or as soon as the alarm "chirps" warning that the battery is low. Hint: schedule battery replacements for the same day you change your clocks for daylight savings time.

Regularly vacuuming or dusting your smoke alarms,
following the manufacturer's instructions, can keep them working properly.

Smoke alarms don't last forever. Replace yours once every 10 years.
If you can't remember how old the alarm is, then it's probably time for a new.

Plan regular fire drills to ensure that everyone knows exactly what to do when the smoke alarm sounds.
Hold a drill at night to make sure that sleeping family members awaken at the sound of the alarm.
Some studies have shown that some children may not awaken to the sound of the smoke alarm.
Know what your child will do before a fire occurs.

If you are building a new home or remodeling your existing home, consider installing an automatic
home fire sprinkler system. Sprinklers and smoke alarms together cut your risk of dying in a home
fire 82 percent relative to having neither – a savings of thousands of lives a year.

" Two-fifths of reported home fires occur in the small number of homes with no smoke alarms. As of 2004, 24 of every 25 (96%) US homes with telephones had at least one smoke alarm. However, four of every ten home fires reported to US fire departments still occurred in the now small share of homes without these devices. In one-quarter of reported fires in smoke alarm-equipped homes, the devices didn't work.

" Smoke alarm failures usually result from missing, disconnected, or dead batteries. When smoke alarms don't work, it is usually because the batteries are missing, disconnected or dead. People are most likely to remove or disconnect batteries because of nuisance activations. Smoke alarms should be tested every month to ensure the batteries and the units themselves are still working. Replaceable batteries should be replaced in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, at least once every year.

Source: NFPA's US Experience With Smoke Alarms and Other Fire Detection/Alarm Equipment report and national estimates reported to US municipal fire departments based on NFIRS and NFPA survey