Manchester Township Fire Department urges residents to make sure their smoke alarms are working

submitted by Jeff Mann, Manchester Township Fire Department

The Manchester Township Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®)—the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week^TM (FPW^TM) for more than 100 years—to promote this year’s FPW campaign, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!^TM” The campaign works to educate everyone about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home.

According to NFPA, smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half (54%). Meanwhile, roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

The Manchester Township Fire Department encourages all residents to actively support the 2024 FPW theme, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” Working smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, giving people the time to get out safely. This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign is a great way to remind everyone about these messages and to act on them.

The Manchester Township Fire Department offers these key smoke alarm safety tips and guidelines:

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home.
• Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
• Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.
• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.

In order to protect the health and safety of high-risk populations, the Manchester Township Fire Department has joined the MI Prevention statewide fire safety campaign through the State Fire Marshal, the Bureau of Fire Services, and Michigan’s fire safety organizations to reduce the high number of fire deaths, injuries, and property loss in Michigan by installing smoke alarms in homes free of charge and educating consumers in the service area on safety practices.

More than just an alarm-give-away program, this campaign is an actual home-installation program with an educational component to increase awareness and knowledge about fire safety to achieve a sustained behavioral change. Upon the homeowner’s request, trained MI Prevention volunteers consisting of fire department personnel will install the 10-year life-expectancy alarms. Homeowners in the Manchester Township Fire Department service area can find more information at the fire department open house.

The Manchester Township Fire Department open house will be on Sunday, October 13, from 1pm to 3pm to promote “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!^TM” There will also be equipment displays and kids young and old will be able to spray a working fire hose. The Manchester Township Fire Department is located at 275 South Macomb St.

For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and smoke alarm safety, visit www.fpw.org. For fire safety fun for kids, visit sparky.org. Find more resources and safety information at the MI Prevention website, www.miprevention.org.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.