The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company and the Delaware State Fire School Advise Residents: Hear the Beep Where You Sleep. Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm!

Georgetown, Delaware, 2015 – Location matters when it comes to your smoke alarm. That’s the message behind this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Hear the Beep Where You Sleep. Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm!”

Along with firefighters and safety advocates nationwide, the Delaware State Fire School is joining forces with the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to enhance fire prevention awareness, and to remind local residents about the importance of having working smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement.

“In a fire, seconds count,” said Mike Lowe, Senior Instructor of the Delaware State Fire School. “Half of home fire deaths result from fires reported at night between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most people are asleep. Home smoke alarms can alert people to a fire before it spreads, giving everyone enough time to get out.”

According to the latest NFPA research, working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire in half. Meanwhile, three out of five fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Indian River’s Fire Prevention campaign includes the following smoke alarm messages:

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
• Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. This way, when one sounds, they all do.
• Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.
• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or sooner if they don’t respond properly.
• Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm and understands what to do when they hear it.
• If the smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside. Go to your outside meeting place.
• Call the fire department from outside the home.

Indian River as with many other local fire departments have hosted activities during October to promote “Hear the Beep Where You Sleep. Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm!” Through these educational, family-oriented activities, residents can learn more about the importance of having a working smoke alarm in every bedroom.

To learn more about smoke alarms and “Hear the Beep Where You Sleep. Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm!” visit NFPA’s Web site at http://www.firepreventionweek.org and http://www.sparky.org/fpw

Illustrated are some of Indian River's past activities to highlight this cause:

http://www.irvfc.com/gallery/detail/14025

http://www.irvfc.com/gallery/detail/14010?ss=1

http://www.irvfc.com/gallery/detail/13424

http://www.irvfc.com/gallery/detail/10431?ss=1

http://www.irvfc.com/gallery/detail/9562?ss=1