Along with firefighters and safety advocates nationwide, the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office is joining forces with the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) during Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 5-11, to remind local residents about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home and testing them monthly.

According to the latest National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) research, working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire in half. Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

“In a fire, every second counts,” said Washington State Fire Marshal Duffy. “Roughly half of home fire deaths result from fires are reported 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.”

How can you have a smoke alarm save a life:

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
• 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.

To learn more about smoke alarms and “Working Smoke Alarms Saves Lives”, visit NFPA’s Web site at www.firepreventionweek.org.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal is a Bureau of the Washington State Patrol, providing fire and life safety services to the citizens of Washington State including inspections of state licensed facilities, plan review of school construction projects, licensing of fire sprinkler contractors and pyrotechnic operators, and training Washington State’s firefighters.