Archived News Release from 2010

For Immediate Release

October 3 – 9, 2010 is Fire Prevention Week - This Year’s Theme is “Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With!”

Redwood City, CA - September 28, 2010 - National Fire Prevention Week is October 3 - 9, 2010 and Redwood City is urging the community to be aware of the importance of smoke alarms - a key family tool which can save lives. The 2010 theme is, “Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With.”

Smoke alarms can mean the difference between life and death in a fire. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics show that working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire nearly in half. But they must be working properly to do so. The NFPA’s data shows that many homes have smoke alarms that aren’t working or maintained properly, usually because of missing, disconnected, or dead batteries. Roughly two-thirds of all home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Many homes in Redwood City may not have any smoke alarms, not enough smoke alarms, alarms that are too old, or alarms that are not working. The Redwood City Fire Department wants residents to understand that working smoke alarms are needed in every home, on every level (including the basement), outside each sleeping area, and inside each bedroom. And, if a smoke alarm is 10 years old or older, it needs to be replaced. The Department also offers the following tips for making sure smoke alarms are maintained and working properly:

• Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button, and make sure everyone in your home knows their sound.
• If an alarm “chirps,” warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
• Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they’re 10 years old (or sooner) if they do not respond properly when tested.
• Never remove or disable a smoke alarm.

More information and fire safety activities and fire prevention week can be found at NFPA’s website: www.firepreventionweek.org.

The end of daylight savings time is November 7th – and that’s a perfect opportunity to test smoke alarms and replace batteries. A working smoke alarm is the family’s first line of defense in case of fire. The easy way to remember: “change your clock – change your smoke alarm batteries.” More information on how to make your home “fire-safe” is available by contacting the Redwood City Fire Department at 650-780-7400 or visiting www.redwoodcity.org/fire.

Visit Redwood City’s award-winning website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its services, the community, recreation programs, education, and local business. Subscribe to Redwood City’s email newsletter or other documents by visiting www.redwoodcity.org/egov.

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Contact:
Jim Palisi
Redwood City Fire Department
650-780-7400