October 5-11, 2014 is Fire Prevention Week and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) picked a great theme for this year’s safety focus:

“Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month!”

“Nearly 3,000 people continue to die in fires each year, with most of those deaths occurring in homes,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. “The vast majority of home fire deaths are preventable, and working smoke alarms play a big role in helping reduce those numbers.”

NFPA recommends:

• Installing smoke alarms inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
• Testing all smoke alarms every month by using the test button.
• Replacing all smoke alarms every 10 years or sooner if they don’t respond properly when tested.

These inexpensive, easy-to-install devices go a long way towards saving lives and property from house fires. Again according to the NFPA:

• Having a working smoke alarm in the home cuts the risk of dying in a fire in half.
• On average each year, three out of five home fire deaths are the result of fires where there are either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
• In one-quarter (23 percent) of the home fire deaths, smoke alarms were present but did not sound.

Sometime this week (and once a month thereafter), take a moment and check out those smoke alarms in your home to ensure they are in proper working order. And be sure to establish an escape plan for everyone in your home to follow in case of a fire. These two simple steps can make all the difference.