October is Fire Prevention Month. This year’s theme is “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety.” Mayor Craig A. Moe says it’s the perfect time to better educate people about the sounds smoke alarms make, what they mean, and how to respond to them.

The latest “Smoke Alarms in the U.S.” report from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) shows that working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a reported home fire by 55 percent.

However, almost three out of five U.S. home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms (41 percent) or smoke alarms that failed to operate (16 percent)! The most common causes of non-operating smoke alarms are missing or non-functional power sources, such as missing or disconnected batteries, dead batteries, and disconnected hardwired alarms or other AC power issues.

Make sure to test your smoke alarms once a month, have a plan in case of a fire in your home or business, and keep your family safe by checking out the tips on the NFPA website at https://www.nfpa.org/fpw.

If you would like to know more about Fire Safety, please call the Department of Fire Marshal and Permit Services at 301-725-5300 ext. 2239.