8. Good Safety Habits
• Have a family meeting and discuss your escape plan, showing
everyone what to do in case of fire.
• Determine a place outside your home where you all can meet if a fire
occurs.
• Familiarize everyone with the sound of the smoke alarm and train
them to leave your home when they hear it.
• Practice a fire drill at least every six months, including fire drills at
night. Ensure that small children hear the alarm and wake when it
sounds. They must wake up in order to execute the escape plan.
Practice allows all occupants to test your plan before an emergency.
You may not be able to reach your children. It is important they know
what to do.
• Current studies have shown smoke alarms may not awaken all
sleeping individuals, and that it is the responsibility of individuals in
the household that are capable of assisting others to provide
assistance to those who may not be awakened by the alarm sound, or
to those who may be incapable of safely evacuating the area
unassisted.
There are situations where a smoke alarm may not be effective to
protect against fire as stated in the NFPA Standard 72. For instance:
a) smoking in bed
b) leaving children home alone
c) cleaning with flammable liquids, such as gasoline
Ionization type smoke alarms use a very small amount of a radioactive
element in the sensing chamber to enable detection of visible and
invisible combustion products. The radioactive element is safely
contained in the chamber and requires no adjustments or maintenance.
This smoke alarm meets or exceeds all government standards. It is
manufactured and distributed under license from the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.
9. NRC Information
