As reported by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by 60 percent.
However, most civilian home fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms.
This finding is supported by a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) survey, which highlights the importance of Fire Prevention Week from October 6–12.
The theme of this year’s campaign, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” aims to raise awareness about installing, testing, and maintaining smoke alarms.
Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of Outreach and Advocacy, stressed the importance of ensuring alarms function properly, stating: “Smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, but they have to be working in order to protect people.”
The CPSC survey, conducted with support from the Fire Protection Research Foundation and the National Institute for Safety and Technology (NIST), found that 99 percent of U.S.
households now have at least one smoke alarm, a marked increase from 88 percent in 1994.
However, over 60 percent of households test their alarms less than the recommended monthly frequency, with 33 percent admitting they never test them.
Another concern identified in the survey is the public’s misperception about their smoke alarms’ functionality and age.
Around 16 percent of homes that believed all their alarms were operational found at least one with an issue during testing, including dead batteries.
Only half of households could accurately determine the age of their alarms.
NFPA’s 2024 Fire Prevention Week seeks to address complacency regarding home fire risks.
Carli explained: “People tend to be overconfident about their risk to fire, which often leads to a sense of complacency that compromises safety.”
The campaign’s key message is the importance of installing smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and on every level of a home.
It also emphasizes the need to test smoke alarms monthly and replace them every 10 years or when they fail tests.
Special attention is given to ensuring alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
Fire Prevention Week, now in its 100th year, remains the longest-running public health observance in the U.S.
Each year, fire departments, schools, and community organizations participate by spreading essential fire safety messages.
NFPA’s outreach is designed to help reduce fire-related injuries and fatalities by promoting awareness of home fire risks and encouraging preventive actions.
Resources for Fire Prevention Week are available at fpw.org, with additional materials for children and educators offered through sparky.org and sparkyschoolhouse.org.
NFPA’s podcast also discusses the findings of the CPSC survey and provides further insights into the state of smoke alarms in U.S. homes.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has highlighted the critical importance of working smoke alarms in its latest report.
Working alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by 60 percent, while many fire deaths occur in homes lacking alarms.
A U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) survey found that although 99 percent of U.S.
households have at least one smoke alarm, many fail to test them regularly.
NFPA’s Fire Prevention Week, running from October 6–12, aims to educate the public on proper installation, testing, and maintenance of smoke alarms.
