Smoke Detectors

Free Smoke Detector

In efforts to assure that every home in our community is better prepared in the event of a home fire, the Hinesville Fire Department gives out free smoke detectors. If you or someone you know needs a smoke detector in his/her home, or does not have one that works properly, please contact us. We will also install it for you. In addition, we will replace the batteries in an existing detector. Keep your family safe by taking advantage of this free service.

Smoke Detector Safety Tips

Mount smoke detectors high on a wall or on the ceiling because smoke rises. If mounted on the wall, it should be 4 to 12 inches away from the ceiling. If mounted on the ceiling, it should be 4 inches from the wall. On a vaulted ceiling, be sure to mount the detector at the highest point of the ceiling.
Don't install a smoke detector near vents, windows, or outside doors because it may not detect smoke due to a draft.
Install a smoke detector on every floor of your home and in or near each sleeping area.
NFPA recommends that people with hearing impairments install smoke detectors with louder alarm signals and/or strobe lights to alert them to a fire. For a list of manufacturers that distribute smoke detectors for the hearing impaired, please call NFPA's Center for High-Risk Outreach at (617) 984-7826.
Vacuum or dust your smoke detector regularly.
Test your smoke detectors at least once a month by pressing the "test button".
Replace batteries once a year or when your smoke detector chirps indicating the battery is low. Also, replace the battery when moving into a new home.
Keep batteries in smoke detectors; do not borrow them for other purposes. Nuisance activations can be addressed by moving an alarm farther away from kitchen smoke or bathroom steam and by more frequent cleaning. If the problem persists, replace the alarm.
Replace your smoke detector once every 10 years. Also, replace smoke detectors when moving into a new home unless you know that the smoke detectors are new.
Above all else, remember the battery is most important. A missing, dead, or disconnected battery could mean life or death.

Facts

15 of every 16 homes (94%) in the U.S. have at least one smoke alarm.
One-half of home fire deaths occur in the 6% of homes without smoke detectors.
Homes with smoke detectors, operable or not, usually have a death rate of 40 - 50% less than homes without smoke detectors.
In 3 out of 10 home fires with detectors, the detectors did not work.
Households with non-working smoke detectors now outnumber those with no smoke detectors.
Some people believe they don't need a smoke detector because they think they'll wake up. This is not true! When you go to sleep your sense of smell goes to sleep with you and unless the smoke is very intense and irritates your nostrils as you breathe, you may not wake up at all.
Smoke created by fire contains a deadly gas called carbon monoxide. This deadly gas is odorless and colorless; you can't see it, taste it or smell it. As you breathe, it puts you into a deeper sleep. It can kill you before you know it.
Most fatal fires occur at night when people are sleeping. Most deaths occur from inhaling smoke or poisonous gases, not from flames. A smoke detector can alert you when there is a fire, in time to save your life.

The F.A.Q's on Smoke Detectors >>