Cedar Falls Public Safety invites you and your family to learn the Sounds of Fire Safety this Fire Prevention Week (October 3 - October 9, 2021)!
2021 Fire Prevention Week
Smoke alarms are a key part of a home fire escape plan. When there is a fire, smoke spreads fast. Working smoke alarms give you an early warning so you can get outside quickly. To keep your family safe, smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom in the house. They should also be outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home including the basement. It is recommended to use interconnected smoke alarms so that if one smoke alarm sounds, they all sound.
Teach your family to recognize the different sounds that both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms emit.
Smoke alarms: A continued set of three loud beeps means smoke or fire. Get out, call 9-1-1, and stay out. A single "chirp" every 30 to 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be changed. All smoke alarms must be replaced after 10 years. Chirping that continues after the battery is replaced means the alarm is at the end of its life and the unit must be replaced.
Carbon monoxide (CO) alarms: A continuous set of four loud beeps means carbon monoxide is present in your home. Go outside, call 9-1-1, and stay out. A single chirp every 30 to 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be replaced. CO alarms have 'end of life' sounds that vary by manufacturer. This means it is time to get a new CO alarm. Like smoke alarms, chirping that continues after the battery is replaced means the alarm is at the end of its life and the unit must be replaced.
Make sure your smoke alarms meet the needs of everyone in your home, including those with sensory or physical disabilities. To help with this, install a bedside alert device that responds to the sound of smoke and CO alarms. The use of a low-frequency alarm can also wake a sleeping person with mild to severe hearing loss.
Always sleep with your mobility device, glasses, and phone close to your bed and keep pathways like hallways lit with night lights and free from clutter to ensure everyone can get out safely in the event of an emergency.
For more fire safety tips, activities for kids, and videos, visit www.fpw.org.
Cedar Falls Fire Prevention Week
To help educate our youngest citizens this Fire Prevention Week, Cedar Falls Public Safety has provided fire safety materials for the area elementary schools and will be hosting a special sidewalk chalk art contest all month long. Students, kindergarten - sixth, are encouraged to send in their fire prevention week-themed sidewalk chalk art to fireprevention@cedarfalls.com through October 31. The top three winners selected from each grade will receive gift cards.
Stay safe, Cedar Falls!