Test your smoke alarms every month. Do this by pressing and holding the test button for a few seconds. The alarm should sound immediately. Replace models that do not have test buttons or that are more than 10 years old. Change the battery in your smoke alarm at least once a year, more often if necessary. A good reminder is – Change your clock – Change your battery! Beeping smoke alarms may need cleaning.

A smoke alarm is a self-contained electronic device that incorporates a means of detecting smoke (the smoke sensor) and a means of giving an audible alarm (the alarm or sounder or buzzer). By sensing smoke in the early stages of a fire and sounding a loud warning alarm, a smoke alarm gives an early warning of fire and buys you those precious few minutes for you and your family to get out safely.

It is common for deep sleep to keep the child from hearing the noise of the alarm. This is why one of the important aspects of the Try for Dry system is for the parents to actively listen for the alarm to sound and quickly take them to the toilet when it does.

No, several smoke alarms must be installed and maintained for proper fire protection. Smoke alarms must be installed on every living level of the home, inside every bedroom, and in the main corridor outside each bedroom area. Installing and maintaining fire alarm system dramatically increases your family's chances of surviving a fire.

NEVER IGNORE THE SOUND OF A SMOKE ALARM. If the smoke alarm is sounding its alarm, there is a reason. You and your family must be able to escape quickly and safely. Here are several steps your family can learn and rehearse for an emergency: B. Feel if the door is hot. Always feel the door to see if it is hot before opening It to escape. If the doorknob or door is hot, do not use that exit. Use your alternate exit to escape. C. Crawl on the floor.

Call the Community Education Officer to schedule a free smoke alarm inspection, 503-681-6273. (Return to Top)

You should change your battery at least twice a year. A good way to remember to do this is when you change your clocks, ... "Change your clock, change your battery!" ... in the spring and fall.

As one's home is liable to have both types of fire - fast flaming fires from cooking and slow burning smouldering fires from furniture upholstery or wiring, ideally as a minimum level of protection one should fit at least one smoke alarm of each type i.e. one Ionisation and one Optical.

Do not fit a smoke alarm in the kitchen (cooking fumes may trigger a nuisance alarm) or bathroom (steam may trigger a nuisance alarm) or in a garage (exhaust fumes may set it off). In these cases we would recommend a heat alarm to provide extra protection.

All rooms except kitchen, bathroom, garage should have a smoke alarm fitted i.e. living room, bedrooms and hallway and landings also.

Smoke alarms are designed to make an intermittent 'chirp' to indicate that the battery needs to be replaced. So once your smoke alarm begins to 'chirp', replace the battery at once.

The Fire Marshals Office cannot recommend a particular brand of smoke alarm. However, we do recommend that electrical smoke alarms (hard wired) and battery operated smoke alarms be U.L.C. listed. Products that have been evaluated by Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (U.L.C.), and found to meet their requirements carry the ULC mark. Most department or hardware stores carry a variety of smoke alarms. For more information on smoke alarms please read Facts About Smoke Alarms.

The smoke alarm should be installed between each sleeping area and the remainder of the building or where a sleeping area is served by a hallway, install the alarm in the hall. Always install the smoke alarm on or near the ceiling in accordance with the manufacturers installation instructions.

If batteries are stored, especially in cold areas like refrigerators, they lose their charge more quickly. Always check the freshness date on the package when buying new batteries.

Improper maintenance is the biggest reason fire systems fail to work according to their design. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOUR FIRE SYSTEM BE CALIBRATED AND CLEANED ANNUALLY. Check with us about our Preventive Maintenance Program.

If you own the building, you are responsible to see that the system is tested annually by a reputable contracted agency and the documentation of this test should be kept on file for the fire department to view. Also, it would help if someone who is likely to be in the building on a daily basis knows where the alarm panel is located. If you are a tenant or owner-occupant, there are other things you can do to be sure your system is ready in case it is needed. Never paint a detector surface.

Normally cigarette smoke should not activate a smoke alarm. One should not refrain from fitting a smoke alarm in a room where there is likely to be smoking - in fact the opposite is true, because cigarette smoking material is a major cause of fires and deaths from fire in the home.

Install smoke alarms at least 20 feet from appliances like furnaces and ovens, which produce combustion particles. Alarms should be at least 10 feet from high humidity areas like showers and laundry rooms, and at least 3 feet from heat/AC vents. Alarms may look clean, but dust can accumulate inside the cover, even in newly built homes. Gently vacuum your smoke alarm regularly using the soft brush attachment. Clean the smoke alarm with the soft brush attachemnt on your vacuum.