Fire officials are raising the alarm after three homes hit by fatal fires in our region last year were found not to have working smoke detectors.
Firefighters say it's one decision that could make all the difference in whether you get out of your home safely.
"It's a life-saving device in your home," said Micheal Greenia with the Vermont Division of Fire Safety.
But he says they're still finding homes with faulty alarms, or none at all.
The Division of Fire Safety recorded five deaths last year. In three of those cases, the homes didn't have any smoke detectors.
"Yes, it's up on the wall and we forget about it, you know, in the daily rush of life," said Greenia.
He says having properly functioning alarms should be at the forefront of everyone's minds. Vermont law states public buildings or anything rented must have alarms installed in the vicinity of each bedroom on every level, plus ones inside the bedrooms. If landlords and tenants don't comply, they could face up to a $1,000 fine.
But single-family, owner-occupied homes are different. The Division of Fire Safety can't force owners to install alarms, so the responsibility falls on the individual. And just having one in the home, isn't enough. It also needs to be working. If the detector looks yellowed, officials say it's probably time for a replacement.
"A lot of folks don't realize that, but the smoke alarm has generally 10 years. When it's 10 years old, it has to be replaced," said Greenia.
Fire officials say the three homes without working smoke detectors that caught fire were in New Hampshire. Over the last five years, New Hampshire has seen 43 deaths from unintentional residential fires. In over half of those cases, the residents didn't have working smoke alarms.
But while New Hampshire law requires owners have a detector in and outside every bedroom on each level, officials say enforcing the rules can be difficult.
Under the Fire Safe 802 program funded by FEMA, the Division of Fire Safety surveys homes, then installs upgraded equipment for free. It's a program that dovetails with the American Red Cross's Sound the Alarm program, which does the same but with the help of volunteers.
"It's really important to do this work because we know that fire-related injuries and deaths can be prevented by simply having a working smoke alarm," said Kevin Mazuzan with the American Red Cross.
"We're trying to cover the entire state of Vermont with these programs and really have a big effort to get this important detection up and working," said Greenia.
Officials say you'll want to make sure your smoke alarm is photoelectric and it will say it right on the front of the box.
Right now, fire officials are investigating a new kind of alarm that can actually determine the style of smoke it's detecting, so it doesn't go off when it's not needed.
They're making sure the technology is right for Vermont.
Click here to make an appointment with the Red Cross or Division of Fire Safety to get a new alarm.
Our company's smoke alarm would be a good choice.
