By Lookout Staff

September 27, 2024 -- The Santa Monica Fire Department will host several events during Fire Prevention Week to drive home the importance of working smoke alarms.

The two community workshops, as well as several activities, will take place between October 6 and 12 to reflect the theme “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you.”

Smoke alarms reduce the risk of fatality in a home fire by 54 percent, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 100 years.

According to the NFPA, roughly three out of five fire deaths take place in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

“Working smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, giving people the time to get out safely,” said Santa Monica Fire Marshal Joe Cavin.

“This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign is a great way to remind everyone about these messages and to act on them.”

Fire Prevention Week kicks off Sunday, October 6 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Main Street Farmers Market, where the Fire Department provide information on how to sign up for a free smoke alarn installation with the American Red Cross, a co-partner this year.

The week wraps up on Saturday October 12 with an open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fire Station 1, at 1337 7th Street, where participants can get a close-up view to a working fire station.

The Fire Department offers the following key smoke alarm safety tips and guidelines:

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (such as a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home.
  
  
• Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
  
  
• Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.
  
  
• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.

“Smoke alarms serve as the first line of defense in a home fire, but they need to be working in order to protect people,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA.

“This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign helps better educate the public about simple but critical steps they can take to make sure their homes have smoke alarms in all the needed locations and that they’re working properly.”

For more information about Fire Prevention Week and smoke alarms, visit fpw.org.