This year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You!”

“FASNY consistently educates the public that smoke alarms are a critical component of home safety, and it is important to ensure they are always in working order,” FASNY President Eugene Perry said in a press release this week.

Having smoke alarms in your home could mean the difference between life and death. The risk of dying in a home without working smoke detectors is 55% higher than in a home with fully functioning alarms, according to the National Fire Protection Association. In addition, three of every five home fire deaths are in residences without working smoke alarms.

Effective April 1, 2019, all new or replacement smoke detectors offered for sale in New York state must either be powered by a sealed, non-removable battery with a minimum battery life of 10 years or hard-wired to the building.

The new smoke detectors do not require periodic battery replacements; therefore, state officials said at the time, this reduces the possibility of human error and would “undoubtedly save lives.”

If you’re not sure when you last replaced the batteries or bought a smoke alarm, FASNY encourages purchasing a new one.

The latest U.S. Fire Administration statistics regarding fires in the nation are from 2022. It was estimated that there were 374,300 residential building fires in the U.S. that year, with 2,720 deaths and 10,250 injuries.

New York state is currently ranked fourth in the country for home fire fatalities, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. In 2023, 155 home fire fatalities were reported by the news media. So far in 2024, there have been 84 home fire fatalities in the state.

Why is Fire Prevention Week in October?

It stems from the Great Chicago Fire of Oct. 8-9, 1871, which killed about 300 people. In 1911, for the fire’s 40th anniversary, the Fire Marshals Association of North America sponsored the first National Fire Prevention Day. In 1920, the first national Fire Prevention Day proclamation was issued by President Woodrow Wilson. Although the National Fire Protection Association has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week since 1922, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the first National Fire Prevention Week in 1925.

There are other reasons for having Fire Prevention Week in October.

“It is well known that the most disastrous fires always occur in the colder months,” the Sept. 29, 1922, issue of the Lake Placid News stated in its Fire Prevention Week article.

October is a logical time — as we move from running air conditioners in the warmer months to using space heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves during the colder months — to be prepared for fire safety in our homes.

“This makes Fire Prevention Week the perfect time to ensure that your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are properly installed and maintained,” FASNY states.

The first practical home smoke detector was invented in the 1960s, and they weren’t widely used until the 1970s.

In the 1920s, house cleaning was a major part of fire prevention.

“It is also well known that a clean house seldom burns,” stated the Lake Placid News (Sept. 29, 1922). “The accumulation of rubbish and dirt, especially in cellars, under stairs in attics and other out-of-the-way places, are the worst enemies that the people who are trying to prevent fires have to contend with.”

That’s still good advice for fire prevention, but today the focus on saving lives from house fires is on smoke alarms.

In New York, according to a Home Smoke Detector Law brochure issued by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, “Owners of one- and two-family residences must install and maintain a smoke detector with an audible alarm in each sleeping area. This gives sleeping residents an early warning in case of nighttime fire, which is most likely to go undetected and cause loss of life.”

When it comes to smoke alarms, here are a few safety tips and guidelines:

– Installing smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home.

– Testing smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.

– Replacing all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or stop responding when tested.

Learn more about fire safety at the following websites:

– Firefighters Association of the State of New York: fasny.com

– National Fire Protection Association: www.nfpa.org

– U.S. Fire Administration: www.usfa.fema.gov