Pop quiz: You’re home sleeping in bed at night. Suddenly, the smoke alarm sounds, abruptly waking you from a sound sleep. What do you do?
a. Put the pillow over your head to drown out the noise.
b. Roll over and go back to sleep.
c. Curse and mutter about yet another disrupted night’s sleep
d. Get up, check your home or apartment for fire, alert others of the problem, and get everyone out quickly if you discover fire.
The answer is obvious, no?
Early warning of impending danger makes all the difference in saving the lives of your family should fire erupt in the middle of the night. With fire known to spread and double in size in just minutes, time is of the essence. A smoke alarm, better yet, a hardwired, integrated system of combo smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms throughout your home or apartment, is something you can’t afford to be without.
During these pandemic days, with many of us spending more time at home, maintaining a working smoke alarm has never been more important. Even the most vigilant among us cannot stay awake 24 hours a day. We need something we can depend on.
Check your home for the following:
• We have smoke or smoke/CO alarms installed on every level of the house.
• Our smoke alarms are hardwired and inter-connected; if one goes off, they all do.
• Our smoke alarms are placed at or near ceiling-level, in hallways, bedrooms and other main living areas.
• We test our alarms regularly and change the batteries at least annually.
• We keep our alarms clear of dust, spider webs and insects by vacuuming them.
• Everyone in our household recognizes the sound of the alarms and knows how to escape quickly in the event of fire.
Think of a smoke alarm as your “nose at night,” staying on guard while you sleep. That should bring peace of mind and help ensure a restful night, knowing your home is protected.