The Spalding County Fire Department wants to remind the citizens of Spalding County the week of October 9-15, 2016 is Fire Prevention Week. This year’s theme is “Don’t Wait – Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years”.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the 2016 campaign theme is focused on the importance of smoke alarms and to install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home. In addition, smoke alarms should be checked on a monthly basis and smoke alarm units should be replaced every 10 years. Make sure to check the manufacture date on the back of every smoke alarm in your home and be sure to replace it 10 years from that date.

The NFPA advises that roughly half of all home fire deaths result from fires that occur between the hours of 11 pm and 7 am, when most people are asleep. Three of every five home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no working smoke alarms. Keep in mind that smoke spreads fast and the notification that a smoke alarm offers can give you the time that you need to escape from your home in the event of a fire. The NFPA states, “Having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half”.

For more information, you can visit the NFPA’s Smoke Alarm Central tab at www.nfpa.org or www.firepreventionweek.org or contact the Spalding County Fire Department at 770-228-2129.