Dear Editor:
Smoke alarms are the fire safety success story of the 20th century, but they can’t save a life if they are not working. Fire Prevention Month this year has a simple but very important theme – Test Your Smoke Alarms. Roughly 70 percent of home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or smoke alarms that are not working. The annual fire safety campaign sponsored by the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) commemorates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 – that fire killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres.
In 2002, fire departments responded to approximately 389,000 fires in homes (one and two family dwellings). That’s one fire every 81 seconds! Don’t fall prey to the “It will never happen to me” mindset. Please make sure that your home has a minimum of one smoke detector per floor, making sure that there is a smoke detector near all bedrooms.
The member companies of the New Jersey Burglar and Fire Alarm Association are dedicated to assuring that their clients install and maintain life safety systems that meet or exceed the requirements of today’s fire codes. For more information please visit www.njbfaa.org.New Jersey Burglar and Fire Alarm Association