ROANOKE VALLEY (WSLS 10) - Many fire departments in the Commonwealth are stressing the importance of smoke alarms as Sunday marked the beginning of Fire Prevention Week.
Recommended Videos
The Salem Fire & EMS Department says they have a busy schedule this week. Their Fire Prevention Team will be delivering a fire safety message to every Elementary School student in the City.
They plan to visit G.W. Carver Elementary on Monday, East Salem Elementary on Tuesday, West Salem Elementary on Wednesday, and South Salem Elementary on Thursday.
The 2015 Fire Prevention Week theme is "Hear the Beep Where You Sleep!" Fire officials say every bedroom needs a working smoke alarm.
In honor of Fire Prevention Week, the National Fire Protection Association made a quiz for residents to take: How is your Smoke Alarm IQ? Learn all about smoke alarm safety with this trivia quiz!
According to the latest NFPA research, working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire in half. Meanwhile, three out of five fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
This year's Fire Prevention Week campaign includes the following smoke alarm messages:
- Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
- Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. This way, when one sounds, they all do.
- Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.
- Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or sooner if they don't respond properly.
- Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm and understands what to do when they hear it.
- If the smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside. Go to your outside meeting place.
- Call the fire department from outside the home.
Fire Prevention Week is from Sunday, Oct. 4 to Saturday, Oct. 10.