This is Fire Prevention Week in Illinois

Governor JB Pritzker proclaimed October 3rd-9th as Fire Prevention Week in Illinois to encourage residents to “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety” and make sure they have working smoke alarms in their homes.

The “Be Alarmed” program was founded in 2018 and is a partnership between the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshall (OSFM) and the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance. The program was developed to educate Illinois residents on the dangers of residential fires and how to prevent fires from occurring in the home, as well as to ensure there are properly installed, working smoke alarms in the homes. Providing 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms ensures that the power source cannot be removed from the unit and, if properly maintained, will last the life of the device.

According to the “Be Alarmed” 2020 report, 80% of pre-existing smoke alarms in homes that received new 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms were non-functional or expired. Due to modern construction using more synthetic based materials, fires spread faster and burn hotter limiting the time you have to escape from a home to just under 3 minutes. A working smoke alarm will alert you quickly allowing you and your family the time to put your fire escape plan into action.

“I encourage everyone to test your smoke and CO alarms monthly and check the expiration dates on all alarms,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Perez. “Make sure everyone in the home understands the sounds of the alarms and knows how to respond. To learn the sounds of your specific smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, check the manufacturer’s instructions that came in the box, or search the brand and model online. It’s plain and simple, working smoke and CO alarms save lives!”

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends these tips to keep in mind to “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety”

• A continuous set of three loud beeps—beep, beep, beep—means smoke or fire. Get out, call 9-1-1, and stay out.
• A single chirp every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be changed.
• All smoke alarms must be replaced after 10 years.
• Chirping that continues after the battery has been replaced means the alarm is at the end of its life and the unit must be replaced.
• Make sure your smoke and CO alarms meet the needs of all your family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.

For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and fire prevention in general, visit www.fpw.org.