How to Live with Your Fire Alarm System

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How to Live with Your Fire Alarm System: Smoke detectors are sensitive to a number of items in addition to smoke from fire, including dusts and mists. To prevent nuisance fire alarms: 1. Do not smoke in your residence hall. 2. Do not spray aerosol products (air fresheners, hair spray, spray paint, perfume, mists, insect spray) or use candles, incense, powder, etc.) near smoke detectors or in large amounts. Consider using solid, non-aerosol air fresheners and keep spray paint and dusty projects outdoors in a well ventilated area. 3. Do not spray liquids on or near smoke detectors (cleaning products, water, steam) 4. Do not leave your microwave unattended. Burned food can smoke and does set off smoke detectors. Follow reheating directions and food preparation recommended cooking times, especially popcorn, and stay close by. 5. Do not use prohibited items such as candles, toaster ovens, George Forman Grills, or space heaters in your room. These items can cause nuisance fire alarms or worse - start a fire. Nuisance fire alarms and unnecessary fire department runs are dangerous, expensive, and disruptive for the fire department and create safety hazards for everyone. Your life and the lives of others may depend on your smoke detector. Do not disable or cover it. For more about cooking fires and fire prevention tips, visit NFPA.org @ http://www.nfpa.org/index.asp Fire Prevention Week commemorates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the tragic conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, and destroyed more than 17,400 structures. Fire Prevention Week Web site www.firepreventionweek.org .

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Smoke Alarms in US Home Fires Marty Ahrens February 2021
Smoke Alarms in US Home Fires Marty Ahrens February 2021 Copyright © 2021 National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) Key Findings Smoke alarms were present in three-quarters (74 percent) of the injuries from fires in homes with smoke alarms occurred in properties reported homei fires in 2014–2018. Almost three out of five home with battery-powered alarms. When present, hardwired smoke alarms fire deathsii were caused by fires in properties with no smoke alarms operated in 94 percent of the fires considered large enough to trigger a (41 percent) or smoke alarms that failed to operate (16 percent). smoke alarm. Battery-powered alarms operated 82 percent of the time. Missing or non-functional power sources, including missing or The death rate per 1,000 home structure fires is 55 percent lower in disconnected batteries, dead batteries, and disconnected hardwired homes with working smoke alarms than in homes with no alarms or alarms or other AC power issues, were the most common factors alarms that fail to operate. when smoke alarms failed to operate. Of the fire fatalities that occurred in homes with working smoke Compared to reported home fires with no smoke alarms or automatic alarms, 22 percent of those killed were alerted by the device but extinguishing systems (AES) present, the death rate per 1,000 reported failed to respond, while 11 percent were not alerted by the operating fires was as follows: alarm. • 35 percent lower when battery-powered smoke alarms were People who were fatally injured in home fires with working smoke present, but AES was not, alarms were more likely to have been in the area of origin and • 51 percent lower when smoke alarms with any power source involved in the ignition, to have a disability, to be at least 65 years were present but AES was not, old, to have acted irrationally, or to have tried to fight the fire themselves.
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Supplement 2
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Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirement
A Guide to the Massachusetts… Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Requirements …when Selling a One- or Two-Family Residence -!33 4-%. 0!2 4/ $% & RE SERVICE Department of Fire Services FI S # % - . % 3 S 4 % % 0 O ) T % 6 4 1 ) T 4 M % 4 E PO BOx 1025 • StOw, MA 01775 • 978-567-3300 ! 0 4 , 2 ! M # % " S ) $ ) ! , - 3 6 " U O H F C A - S AS www.mass.gov/dfs M.G.L. C 148 S. 26F - THE LAW Massachusetts General Law, chapter 148 section 26F mandates that upon the sale or transfer of certain homes, the seller must install approved smoke detectors. These requirements apply to residences that were built or modified prior to creation of the Massachusetts State Building Code (January 1, 1975). If a building has undergone renovation, addition or modification after Jan. 1, 1975, the date of the building permit determines the smoke detector requirements of the building code. Although the transfer law applies to residences with five or less residential units, this pamphlet will focus only on one- and two-family homes. VERIFICATION After a successful inspection for smoke detector compliance, the local fire department will issue a Certificate of Compliance indicating that the residence meets the smoke detector requirements. Although the law applies to homes built prior to the date of the building code (Jan. 1975), it is industry practice that most purchase and sales agreements, and many mortgage companies require that the seller, as a condition to sell or transfer, obtain a Certificate of Compliance issued by the local fire department, even if the home was permitted or modified after 1975.
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