It’s time to change the batteries in your smoke detector, Attorney General Hon. Doug Currie, Minister Responsible for the Office of Public Safety, is reminding Islanders. “It’s about keeping our One Island Community safe,” he said.
“Smoke alarms are designed to provide early warning of a fire and enable occupants time to get out of danger,” said the Attorney General. “A working smoke alarm will increase the chances of surviving a fire by 50 per cent.”
Officials in the Fire Marshal’s Office, a division of the Office of the Attorney General and Public Safety, are urging all Islanders to replace the batteries in their home smoke alarms this weekend when the time “springs ahead.”
“To ensure all smoke detectors in the home are in good working order, it is important to test each one monthly and install fresh batteries twice a year. By associating it with the time change in the spring and in the fall, it’s easier to remember when the batteries need to be changed,” said Minister Currie.
Smoke detector Safety Tips from the Fire Marshal’s Office:
• Test your smoke alarm monthly and clean it every 6 months. Mark it on your calendar so that you don’t forget.
• To clean the alarm, open the cover and gently vacuum the interior of it. Frequently, the alarm will sound while the unit is being cleaned.
• For best performance, an alarm should be mounted on the ceiling in or near the centre of the room, hall or stairway, and at the head of each stairway leading to an occupied area.
• Never paint a smoke alarm.
• The lifespan of a typical smoke alarm is about 10 years, but some models last as little as 5 years.
The Fire Marshal’s Office also offers the following suggestions for fire safety year round:
• Develop a home fire-evacuation plan that includes at least two escape routes.
• Install fire extinguishers in or near the kitchen.
• Do preventative housecleaning that reduces or eliminates fire hazards.
For more information go to www.peipublicsafety.ca. You can follow the Office of Public Safety on Twitter, www.twitter.com/PEIPublicSafety, or on Facebook, search PEIPublicSafety.