From The Chief's Desk
Hello and Happy Spring Friends,
As the winter months begin to fade, we turn our attention to spring – a time of hope and promise, a time of renewal, a time for a new beginning. What better way to start anew, than with a SPRING CLEAN-UP in your home. As part of your Spring Clean Up routine – removing dirt, debris and clutter from rooms, hallways, stairways, and your garage -- I challenge each of you to check, maintain, and/or replace the smoke detectors in your home. If you don’t have smoke detectors throughout your home, now is the time to add them.
In the United States, an average of eight people die in house fires every day. Tragically, half of these deaths could have been prevented but nearly 75% of smoke detectors fail to operate due to missing, disconnected or dead batteries. In some cases, smoke detectors are more than 10 years old and beyond their useful life.
By properly installing and maintaining smoke detectors throughout your home, you can provide an early warning of a potentially deadly fire. Minutes matter. A smoke detector warning can be the difference between life and death for you and your family.
Lastly, the Castle Shannon Volunteer Fire Department is partnering with the NiSource Foundation and Columbia Gas to provide Smoke Detectors (and CO Detectors) to those in need. If you are a resident of Castle Shannon, we would be happy to provide a free smoke detector and install it along with any other detectors that you already have.
If you are interested in this free service, please call the fire department at 412-884-7913.
Or contact us here
- Place one in every bedroom;
- Outside the sleeping area;
- On every level of your home, including basement;
- On levels without bedrooms: install in living room, den, or family room;
- Install near stairways leading to upper levels;
- Install smoke alarms 10 feet from cooking appliances to minimize false alarms;
- Mount smoke alarms high on walls or ceilings (remember, smoke rises).;
- Wall-mounted alarms should be installed not more than 12 inches away from
- the ceiling (to the top of the alarm);
- Use interconnected smoke alarms for additional safety and early warning;
- Do not install near windows, doors, or ducts;
- And never Paint Smoke Alarms.
- Test smoke alarms monthly.
- Change smoke alarm batteries yearly.
- Replace smoke alarms every 10 years.
