{whAt tO dO whEn yOur smOke alArm gOes Off}

In light of this mornings events, I thought it would be wise to remind everyone what to do when your alarm goes off (obviously I didn't follow all these and needed the reminder also!). This was taken from a smoke alarm company:

What to do when the alarm sounds:

• Alert small children in the home.
• Leave immediately by your escape plan. Every second counts, so don’t waste time getting dressed or picking up valuables.
• In leaving, don’t open any inside door without first feeling its surface. If hot, or if you see smoke seeping through cracks, don’t open that door! Instead, use your alternate exit. If the inside of the door is cool, place your shoulder against it, open it slightly and be ready to slam it shut if heat and smoke rush in.
• Stay close to the floor if the air is smoky. Breathe shallowly through a cloth, wet if possible.
• Once outside, go to your selected meeting place and make sure everyone is there.
• Call the fire department from your neighbor’s home - not from yours!
• Don’t return to your home until the fire officials say that it is all right to do so.

IMPORTANT: Never Ignore the Sound of an Alarm!

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

Here's reasons I found that smoke alarms (smoke detectors are particle sensing devices, not heat detectors) might go off when there is not a fire:

• accumulated dust
• bugs, especially spiders that crawl inside
  
• condensation (water vapor)
• very cold weather
• entry door, if adjoined to a heated area, is opened
• low battery
• dirty battery

Reminder - change your smoke detectors batteries at least once a year, or better yet every daylight savings, beginning and end. Every time you change the batteries get a can of compressed air and clean out the detector.