Smoke detectors and Carbon Monoxide detectors save lives by waking us up or alerting us to toxic fumes or smoke in our homes in the early stages of a life threatening fire. The Yakima Fire Department (“YFD”) is officially reminding all citizens to check their smoke detectors when the clocks change early Sunday morning.
Smoke detectors can save lives if they are properly installed and maintained.
The YFD recommends you make the following checks of your smoke detectors when you change your clock times:
- Check the age of your smoke detector. If it is older than 8 to 10 years, replace it with a new detector.
- Check to make sure the detectors sound off when you test the battery. If a new battery does not make it sound off when testing, replace the detector.
- Make sure you have an adequate number of smoke detectors in your home. The YFD recommends one detector in each room of your house to ensure maximum detection.
- Clean all of your smoke detectors regularly to make sure no dust or insect debris will inhibit the maximum efficiency of detectors.
More information about smoke detectors and other fire safety tips can be found on the National Fire Protection Association website at http://www.nfpa.org/.