We’ve been reporting on fires for enough years to remember when home smoke detectors first became commonly available in the 1970s. Soon, fire safety codes required smoke detectors in all dwellings and local firefighters, who love nothing better than effective ways to save lives and property against fire, were thrilled that technology had made home alarms effective and affordable.
Our firefighters became strong advocates of the devices because they saw the life-saving results: people roused from slumber by alarms triggered by a 2 a.m. fire — roused in time to escape safely.
Sadly, like patients who don’t always heed the advice of their doctors, we don’t always change those batteries when we change the clocks twice a year, or neglect to replace a depleted battery. In so doing, we jeopardize our own safety in the case of fire, and perhaps put at risk the very firefighters who are called to our rescue.
When it comes to fires in the home, therefore, it’s best to be prepared and take advantage of today’s technology. Compared to days past, because of smoke alarms, we see far fewer fatal fires.
But we haven’t seen an end to such tragedy. Our firefighters can’t protect us against ourselves, it turns out, although they try by aggressively promoting the installation and maintenance of smoke alarms and in some cases even providing them for free.
A recent fatal fire in an Orange appears to have been caused by the improper use or disposal of smoking materials in a manufactured home where there was no working smoke alarm, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
A press statement from the fire marshal quoted Orange Fire Chief James Young as saying, “This is a sad end to a long life,” and adding that the outcome might have been different had there been working smoke alarms in the home.
It is the 23rd fire death in Massachusetts this year, according to State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey, who said that “One common denominator in so many of these fire deaths has been the lack of working smoke alarms.”
In house fires there are often many complicating factors, so it’s hard to say all could have been saved if only smoke alarms had been working.
But fire safety experts know they do make a difference.
“Working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are essential fire safety tools to have in your home. They are the best way to prevent fire fatalities,” says the state Fire Services Department.
Fire safety officials recommend we:
Have working smoke alarms on every level of a home, outside bedrooms, at the top of open stairs and at the base of cellar stairs.
Maintain those smoke alarms, test them once a month and change the batteries twice a year.
Replace smoke alarms every 10 years. Alarms are labeled with their date of manufacture. If there is no label, they are older than 10 years and must be replaced because the ionization action on which they depend becomes depleted over time.
In more recent times, fire codes have also required carbon monoxide detectors.
The law requires carbon monoxide alarms to be installed on every level of your home, including habitable portions of basements and attics, in most residences.
On levels with sleeping areas, carbon monoxide alarms should be installed within 10 feet of bedroom doors.
In Massachusetts, Nicole’s Law also requires landlords to install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms in every dwelling unit that has a source of carbon monoxide like our New England heaters.
Whenever we hear fire trucks headed to a working fire we worry about the chance for fatalities, and we know that’s on the minds of our firefighters, too, because they have to face such tragedies head-on.
The least we can do is help ourselves by following their advice about alarms that they know can save our lives.