Most people know they need to regularly replace the batteries in their smoke detectors, but not as many people know that the alarms themselves should be replaced every 10 years, the typical lifespan of a smoke alarm. That’s why the National Fire Protection Association’s theme for Fire Prevention Week, October 9 – October 15, is Don’t Wait, Check the Date.
In a 2015 survey, NFPA found that 90 percent of percent of respondents didn’t know that smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years and 20 percent of those surveyed reported having smoke alarms that were more than 10 years old.
To check the age of your smoke alarm, remove it and check the back where the manufacturing date should be stamped. If it was made more than 10 years ago, it needs to be replaced.
Properly functioning smoke detectors can reduce the risk of injury and death in a house fire. About 60 percent of deaths resulting from house fires occurred in homes with no smoke alarms or smoke alarms that did not function.
During 2015, 1,345,500 fires were reported in the United States resulting in 15,700 civilian injuries and 3,280 civilian deaths. Of those, 501,500 were structure fires, causing 2,685 civilian deaths and 13,000 civilian injuries.
