The National Fire Protection Association is promoting the theme, "Don't Wait: Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years" during this year's Fire Prevention Week campaign, which runs through Saturday.
The focus on smoke alarm replacement comes as the result of a recent survey conducted by NFPA, which showed that only a small percentage of people know how old their smoke alarms are or how often they need to be replaced.
|Smoke alarms save lives
According to the NFPA, three of every five home fire deaths in the United States result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Almost 40 percent of the fire deaths that occur in the U.S. are in homes with no smoke alarms.
NFPA recommends replacing smoke alarms after 10 years because that is typically the life expectancy of the devices. After 10 years, the sensors in smoke alarms can begin to lose their sensitivity.
|Replace smoke alarms every 10 years
Here are easy instructions insurance agents can share with their clients for checking the age of home smoke alarms:
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