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The Oradell Fire Department Reminds Everyone to
Change Your Clock - Change Your Battery

The United States Fire Administration estimates that over 80 percent of all fire deaths occur in the home. Ninety percent of child fire deaths occur in homes that do not have a working smoke detector. The poisonous smoke and gasses emitted by a fire are the major cause of these deaths.

On Sunday, April 3rd, 2007 at 2:00 AM we will spring ahead into daylight savings time and push our clocks ahead an hour. This is a great time to check all the smoke detectors in your home to make sure they are in working order. When you check those smoke detectors, change the batteries. Smoke Detectors that are over seven (7) years old should be replaced with new ones. Both of these costs are minimal and far less than the cost of a human life.

This is also great time to review home fire safety practices. Don't forget to include reviewing fire safety practices for your children who are in college and living in college housing units. In addition, make sure that your children living at home are able to hear those smoke detectors while they are sleeping. Recent studies in both of these areas indicate a need to further educate and practice fire safety plans.

WHY CHANGE MY SMOKE DETECTOR BATTERIES ?

SOME FIRE STATISTICS TO THINK ABOUT

The Issue: Smoke Detector Neglect

• Although smoke detectors are present in 94 % of American homes, 20% do not work, mostly because of dead or missing batteries. That means roughly 19 million homes are at risk due to non-working smoke alarms and another 6 million homes are at risk due to no smoke alarms.
• In the U.S. roughly 80% of fire deaths result from fires in homes without working smoke detectors. Half of the home fire deaths resulted from fires in the small percentage of homes (6%) without any smoke detectors.
• If a fire occurs, working smoke detectors cut the risk of dying in a home fire nearly in half by providing early warning and critical extra seconds to escape.
• Eighty-three (83) percent of all civilian fire-related deaths are a result of home fires.
• The National Fire Alarm Code recommends a minimum of one smoke alarm on each level of a home, including one inside each bedroom for new construction and one outside each sleeping area.
• In addition to changing smoke alarm batteries, smoke detectors should be replaced every ten (10) years.
• Education is key. Less than one quarter (1/4) of U.S. homes had smoke alarms in 1977. Although several factors such as safer products, building codes and life safety education played important roles, increased smoke alarm usage played a major role in the nearly 50 percent drop in home fire deaths since that time.

House Fires

• Somewhere in the nation, a home fire death occurs approximately every three hours.
• The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10 pm and 6 am –When most people are sleeping.
• Only about 25% of families in the United States have developed and practiced a home fire escape plan to ensure they could escape quickly and safely.
• Households with non-working smoke detectors now outnumber those with no smoke alarms.
• Smoke alarms most often fail because of missing, dead or disconnected batteries.
• Fire deaths peak in winter months – December thru February. Smoking materials (cigars, cigarettes, pipes, etc) and poorly maintained or misused portable or area heating equipment are leading causes of fatal home fires.
• Tragically, many people mistakenly believe they’d be awakened by the smell of smoke in time to escape. Clinical experiments have found that the sense of smell actually lessens when people are asleep. In addition, smoke disorients people and dulls their senses, making it less likely that other cues, such as cries for help, will awaken them. This is why working smoke alarms are so important.
• Home fires cause almost 5.5 billion in direct property damage during 2000.

Children and Home Fires

• Children are particularly vulnerable during home fires. Children ages five and under are twice as likely as the population as a whole to die in a house fire.
• Three out of five fatalities from house fires are a result of children playing with fire, igniting a mattress, bedding, upholstered furniture or clothing.
• An average of nearly 3 children under the age of 20 die each day in home fires. (roughly 1000 children each year). In addition, about 4,200 children under the age of 20 are injured in home fires each year.
• Eighty (80) percent of fatal home fire victims who were killed by fires in homes without working smoke detectors.

Senior Citizens and Home Fires

• Adults ages 65 and older are two (2) times more likely to die in a house fire: those ages 75 & up are three (3) times more likely and those ages 85 and up are 4.5 times more likely to die in a home fire. Many older adults need assistance to walk and can not escape in time by themselves.
• The sense of smell decreases with age, making the elderly less likely to smell smoke and be able take appropriate action in time.

Fire Deaths in the United States:

• Although home fire deaths have substantially decreased, the United States continues to have one of the highest fire death rates among the industrialized nations.

Sources: National Fire Protection Assoc (NFPA), International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)

THE HISTORY OF “CHANGE YOUR CLOCK – CHANGE YOUR BATTERY”

In the Mid 1980’s, Energizer (batteries) recognized a disturbing trend (one not unknown to the fire service): home fire deaths and injuries were increasing despite widespread use of smoke detectors. Research showed non-working smoke alarms were often responsible.

Representatives of Energizer formed a coalition with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and fire departments nationwide. They realized smoke alarm neglect was not being addressed on a large scale and that a massive public education program was needed. Together they proposed the “Change your clock – Change your battery” public education campaign.

The idea was first tested in St. Louis and Atlanta in 1987. Today it is a national campaign involving more than 5,400 fire departments and is the most widely used fire safety public education program in the nation.