March 5, 2009

• When you change your clocks for daylight savings time, change the batteries in all of your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Smoke detectors save lives. You should have a working detector on every floor in your home and in every bedroom.
• Smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years. The sensors in these devices can degrade due to environmental contamination and from age.
• At 10 years, your detector has been continuously running for 87,600 hours.
• According to NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), from 2000-2004, smoke detectors sounded in only half of all residential fires.
• 65% of home fire deaths resulted from residences having either no smoke detectors or non-working smoke detectors.
• In 43% of residential fire deaths, there were no smoke detectors in the home at all.
• The fatality rate is twice as high in homes without working smoke detectors.
• An estimated 890 lives could be saved each year if all homes had working smoke detectors.

Free Home Safety Surveys are provided as a service to our citizens and can be scheduled by calling (757) 325-4945.

Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue reminds you that "Fire Safety Begins With You."

Contact: Lt. Anthony Chittum
             Community Relations Officer
             757-727-1212

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