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7.LIMITATIONS OF SMOKE ALARMS
WARNING: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND THOROUGHLY
•NFPA 72 states: Life safety from fire in residential occupancies is based primarily on early notification to
occupants of the need to escape, followed by the appropriate egress actions by those occupants. Fire
warning systems for dwelling units are capable of protecting about half of the occupants in potentially
fatal fires. Victims are often intimate with the fire, too old or young, or physically or mentally impaired
such that they cannot escape even when warned early enough that escape should be possible. For
these people, other strategies such as protection-in-place or assisted escape or rescue are necessary.
•Smoke alarms are devices that can provide early warning of possible fires at a reasonable cost; how-
ever, alarms have sensing limitations. Ionization type alarms offer a broad range of fire sensing capabil-
ities but are better at detecting fast flaming fires than slow smoldering fires. Photoelectric alarms sense
smoldering fires better than flaming fires. Home fires develop in different ways and are often unpre-
dictable. Neither type of alarm (photoelectric or ionization) is always best, and a given alarm may not
always provide warning of a fire.
•Abatterypoweredalarmmusthaveabatteryofthespecifiedtype,ingoodconditionandinstalledproperly.
•A.C. powered alarms (without battery backup) will not operate if the A.C. power has been cut off, such
as by an electrical fire or an open fuse.
•Smoke alarms must be tested regularly to make sure the batteries and the alarm circuits are in good
operating condition.
•Smoke alarms cannot provide an alarm if smoke does not reach the alarm. Therefore, smoke alarms
may not sense fires starting in chimneys, walls, on roofs, on the other side of a closed door or on a dif-
ferent floor.
• If the alarm is located outside the bedroom or on a different floor, it may not wake up a sound sleeper.
• The use of alcohol or drugs may also impair one’s ability to hear the smoke alarm. For maximum pro-
tection, a smoke alarm should be installed in each sleeping area on every level of a home.
•Although smoke alarms can help save lives by providing an early warning of a fire, they are not a sub-
stitute for an insurance policy. Home owners and renters should have adequate insurance to protect
their lives and property.
8. GOOD SAFETY HABITS
DEVELOP AND PRACTICE A PLAN OF ESCAPE
•Install and maintain Fire extinguishers on every level of the home and in the kitchen, basement and
garage. Know how to use a fire extinguisher prior to an emergency.
•Make a floor plan indicating all doors and windows and at least two (2) escape routes from each room.
Second story windows may need a rope or chain ladder.
•Have a family meeting and discuss your escape plan, showing everyone what to do in case of fire.
• Determine a place outside your home where you all can meet if a fire occurs.
• Familiarize everyone with the sound of the smoke alarm and train them to leave your home when they
hear it.
•Practice a fire drill at least every six months, including fire drills at night. Ensure that small children hear
the alarm and wake when it sounds. They must wake up in order to execute the escape plan. Practice
allows all occupants to test your plan before an emergency. You may not be able to reach your chil-
dren. It is important they know what to do.
WHAT TO DO WHEN THE ALARM SOUNDS
•Alert small children in the home.
• Leave immediately by your escape plan. Every second counts, so don’t waste time getting dressed or
picking up valuables.
•In leaving, don’t open any inside door without first feeling its surface. If hot, or if you see smoke seeping
through cracks, don’t open that door! Instead, use your alternate exit. If the inside of the door is cool,
place your shoulder against it, open it slightly and be ready to slam it shut if heat and smoke rush in.
•Stay close to the floor if the air is smoky. Breathe shallowly through a cloth, wet if possible.
•Once outside, go to your selected meeting place and make sure everyone is there.
•Call the fire department from your neighbor’s home - not from yours!
•Don’t return to your home until the fire officials say that it is all right to do so.
There are situations where a smoke alarm may not be effective to protect against fire as stated in the NFPA
Standard 72. For instance:
a) smoking in bed
b) leaving children home alone
c) cleaning with flammable liquids, such as gasoline
Further information on fire safety can be obtained in a pamphlet titled “IN A FIRE SECONDS
COUNT” published by the NFPA, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269
9.NRC INFORMATION
Ionization type smoke alarms use a very small amount of a radioactive element in the sensing chamber to
enable detection of visible and invisible combustion products. The radioactive element is safely contained
in the chamber and requires no adjustments or maintenance. This smoke alarm meets or exceeds all
government standards. It is manufactured and distributed under license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
10. NFPA REQUIRED PROTECTION
The National Fire Protection Association’s Standard 72 provides the following information:
Smoke alarms shall be installed outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bed-
rooms and on each additional story of the family living unit, including basements and excluding crawl
spaces and unfinished attics. In new construction, a smoke alarm also shall be installed in each sleeping
room.
Smoke Detection - Are More Smoke Alarms Desirable? The required number of smoke alarms might not
provide reliable early warning protection for those areas separated by a door from the areas protected by
the required smoke alarms. For this reason, it is recommended that the householder consider the use of
additional smoke alarms for those areas for increased protection. The additional areas include the base-
ment, bedrooms, dining room, furnace room, utility room, and hallways not protected by the required
smoke alarms. The installation of the smoke alarms in the kitchen, attic (finished or unfinished), or garage
is normally not recommended, as these locations occasionally experience conditions that can result in
improper operation.
This equipment should be installed in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association’s Standard
72 (NFPA, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269).
NOTIFY YOUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND INSURANCE COMPANY OF YOUR SMOKE ALARM
INSTALLATION.