Wednesday January, 15 2025 @ 08:41

Nature: Service Call-Fire

Location: Bayside Dr Pot Nets Coveside, DE 19966

On Wednesday morning, January 15^th, the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company was alerted for a service call type incident on Bayside Drive in the Pot Nets Coveside development off Long Neck Road.  It was reported that an elderly person needed assistance with her smoke alarms that continue to chirp and needs evaluation.

Emergency response units from Indian River included Rescue 80 in a non-emergency response method to the incident location to offer assistance.

A non-emergency fire service incident is a call to the fire department for a situation that is not an immediate threat to life or property. Fire departments are trained to respond to a variety of situations, including false alarms, good intent calls, and other non-emergencies

Incident response personnel assisted the residential occupant with evaluating and monitoring their interior residential smoke detector system that were hard-wired installations.  Other assistance included a residential neighbor and personnel from the Pot Nets Security detail.

After evaluation and changing of the batteries it was recommended that the homeowner(s)  contact a certified contractor for the eventual updating and replacement of the interior hard-wired appliances.

All units were authorized to return to their respective stations.

Important guidelines to keep your alarms working & your family safe…

In an emergency situation, you rely on your hardwired smoke alarms to function properly. Without proper maintenance and timely replacement, your smoke alarms could malfunction when you need them safe.

The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company offers these guidelines to keep your smoke alarms functioning properly and keep your home and family protected.

Correct Placement Protects Your Home…

According to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a smoke alarm should be installed:

• On every level of the home (including the basement)

• Inside each bedroom

• Outside each sleeping area.

If you are missing a smoke alarm in one of these key areas, you should update your smoke alarms as soon as possible. 

Hardwired vs. Battery-Operated Smoke Alarms …

Hardwired smoke detectors are interconnected, creating a system that can alert you to smoke wherever you are in your home. In the case of fire, all alarms will sound simultaneously, alerting you immediately to danger and saving precious moments.

With battery-operated smoke alarms, only those closest to the fire will sound. Keep in mind that your hardwired smoke alarms will contain batteries, which power the alarms in the event of a power failure.

Maintaining Your Smoke Alarms …

Smoke alarm testing is easy and should be done each month. Simply press the test button on the outside of each alarm to confirm proper functioning. Replace the backup batteries annually or more often if needed. Keep in mind, that if one of your hardwired smoke detectors has gone bad then all your detectors need to be replaced.

In addition to monthly testing, we also recommend annual testing by one of our certified electricians. We check smoke alarms as part of our annual electrical inspections.

Replace Hardwired Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years …

Around the 10-year mark, the sensors on your smoke alarm become weaker and less efficient, often due to a buildup of dust. Even if your detector still appears to be working when you test it, at 10 years you will still need to replace it.

The testing could confirm that other parts of the device are working (such as the battery). We recommend replacing all connected smoke alarms at the same time, even if some are working.

Install New Smoke Alarms Today ..

Smoke alarms are the one thing in your home you shouldn’t take for granted. Contact a certified licensed contractor to install, test, or update your hardwired smoke alarms if they are inoperable.