Weston Fire Department wants residents to be aware that smoke alarms must be replaced at least every 10 years. The public is generally unaware of this requirement and many homes likely have smoke alarms past their expiration date, which puts people at increased risk in the event of a home fire.
A recent survey conducted by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) showed that only a small percentage of people know how old their smoke alarms are or how often they need to be replaced. These important home fire safety tools need to be working properly in order to protect people.
According to an NFPA report, in 20% of all U.S. homes with smoke alarms, the smoke alarms aren’t working; 38% of home fire deaths result from fires in properties without smoke alarms or with no working smoke alarms (21%).