CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — October 3 through October 9 is Fire Prevention Week, and the Corpus Christi Fire Department is providing some tips aimed at helping the community “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety”.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a fire by more than 50 percent. However, data shows that 41 percent of home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms, while 16 percent are because of non-operational smoke alarms due to missing or disconnected batteries, dead batteries, disconnected hardwired alarms or other power issues.
The campaign theme for this year, “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety”, focuses on educating the public about the sounds smoke alarms make, what those sounds mean, and how to respond to them.
“We want to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe,” said Randy Paige in a release, fire marshal for the Corpus Christi Fire Department.
Here are some tips provided by CCFD:
- A continuous set of three loud beeps means smoke or fire. A continuous set of four loud beeps means Carbon Monoxide has been detected. 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.
- Test all smoke and CO alarms monthly. Press the test button to make sure the alarm is working.
- All smoke alarms must be replaced after ten years.
- CO alarms also have “end of life” sounds that vary by manufacturer. This means it’s time to get a new CO alarm.
- 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.
- If there is someone in your household who is deaf or hard of hearing, install a bed shaker and strobe light alarms that will alert that person to fire.
For more about National Fire Prevention Week, you can click here.
