IT’S NATIONAL FIRE SAFETY WEEK

Keep your family safe with a working smoke alarm in every bedroom.

Did you know that roughly half of home fire deaths result from fires reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., when most people are asleep? Last year, 114 people died in Florida house fires.

Smoke alarms save lives.

Almost half of those who died in the Florida house fires didn’t have working smoke alarms. If there is a fire in your home, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you time to get out. In fact, having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half!

When it comes to smoke alarms, it’s about “location, location, location”.

The key message of this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, October 4-10, is to install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of your home.

Is Your House Protected?

The Florida Building Code will requires that homeowners install a 10-year, sealed battery smoke alarm in homes when replacing outdated or nonworking alarms.

The batteries are virtually tamper proof. You can’t take the battery out and it doesn’t need to be replaced for a decade.

If you are updating a home, you can also use the alarms instead of using hard-wired models, which may save you money.

My Thoughts…

A sticker or something needs to be places on the “new” type of smoke alarms so that you know when the alarm was installed. I have enough trouble remembering what I ate for dinner yesterday, let alone remembering what year I need to replace my smoke detectors.

If you purchase a home, replace all the smoke detectors when you move in. This way, you will know when the ten year countdown begins.

My fear is, in ten years, people will forget to replace their smoke detectors and then they will not be protected.

Although it is more expensive, I prefer the hard-wired alarms that are interconnected in your home. That way, if one alarm sounds, the others will sound too!

NEED HELP?

If you need help installing your replacement smoke detectors call us at 561-795-2551.  We will be happy to assist you.

Todd Perry, a State of Florida Certified Building Contractor and president of Leading Edge Homes, Inc., provided this information.

If you have questions about a home improvement project, call Leading Edge Homes at 561-795-2551 or email Todd at: todd@leadingedgehomes.com and he’ll be happy to share his knowledge with you.

Leading Edge Homes, Inc. specializes in improving your lifestyle through room additions, bathroom renovations, kitchen updates, hurricane-resistant screen enclosures, and more!  In business since 1991, they demolish your stress by building your trust.

Visit the Leading Edge Home’s website or call 561-795-2551 to discover how they can help you with your next home remodeling project in Palm Beach County.