Smoke Alarms Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Air Quality Alerts Issued For W.Va.

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s (WVDEP) Division of Air Quality and the state Department of Health and Human Resources’ (DHHR) Bureau for Public Health (BPH) have issued a statewide Air Quality Advisory regarding smoke from Canada.

Fine particulate matter in smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to affect air quality in the eastern United States. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s (WVDEP) Division of Air Quality and the state Department of Health and Human Resources’ (DHHR) Bureau for Public Health (BPH) have issued a statewide Air Quality Advisory.

According to AirNow.gov, unofficial air monitors indicate counties in West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle (Air Quality Index score of 201-300), the Morgantown-Clarksburg-Fairmont area (151-200), and the Charleston area (101-150) are currently the most impacted in the state.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):

AQI scores in the 201-300 range (purple) indicate an increased risk of health effects for everyone.
Scores in the 151-200 range (red) indicate that some members of the general public may experience health effects and members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
Areas with scores in the 101-150 range (orange) will primarily impact those who are sensitive to air pollution.

The agencies suggest monitoring the AirNow website to see real time air quality data.

Residents in areas with poor air quality are encouraged to limit their time outdoors and avoid strenuous activities. N-95 masks can help reduce smoke inhalation and potential health risks.

More information about the AQI, including activity guides for when air quality reaches unhealthy levels, is available here.

Click here for information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on protecting yourself from wildfire smoke.

Study Suggests Traditional Fire Alarms May Not Be As Effective For Children

New research finds the sound of a traditional fire alarm may not be the most effective at waking up young children.

Researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy and Nationwide Children’s Hospital tested three alarms that used the mother’s voice and found that a sleeping child was about three times more likely to be awakened by one of the three voice alarms than by the tone alarm. The average time to escape for the high-pitch tone alarm was nearly five minutes, but with the voice alarm children responded in 18-28 seconds.

Still, until more research is done, families should continue to use traditional smoke alarms, according to Dr. Gary A. Smith, lead author of the study and director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy and Sleep Disorders Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

“Because about half the deaths that occur in home fires occur in households that do not have working smoke alarms, we strongly encourage families to continue to use traditional smoke alarms as our research continues,” he said.

The study was published this week in The Journal of Pediatrics.

West Virginia Fire Marshal Launching Smoke Alarm Project

The West Virginia fire marshal’s office is conducting a campaign to encourage use of smoke alarms.

State Fire Marshal Ken Tyree said in a message seeking volunteers to help with the effort that he and his staff have seen too many fire deaths during his time in office. As a result, the office is launching its initiative as part of this year’s Governor’s Day to Serve, in conjunction with the American Red Cross, which also has a smoke alarm initiative.

Tyree’s office is seeking help from fire departments, colleges and universities, churches, fraternal and community service organizations and anyone willing to participate.

Tyree’s message said the project will provide and install free smoke alarms to residences in need during September and October.

More information is available at the fire marshal’s website .

Change your clocks, change your batteries

From the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety:

Last year, West Virginia’s fire departments responded to over 8,500 fires. Over 4,000 of these fires occurred in residences, where most fire deaths take place.

“Every year we see the same scenario: the weather gets colder, people are indoors more, and a fire breaks out. If the home has no working smoke alarms, families won’t get the early warning they need to safely escape the fire—and we’ll be investigating more fire deaths that shouldn’t have happened,” said Anthony Carrico, Acting West Virginia State Fire Marshal. “Fires spread so much more quickly than people realize. A working smoke alarm sounding off can literally mean the difference between surviving a fire or becoming a victim.”

Smoke alarms have a wide range of user-friendly options, including hush buttons for nuisance alarms, long-life batteries, and various types of notification sounds. As long as the smoke alarms have the UL® seal (Underwriters Laboratories) to show they have met recognized safety standards, and are installed and maintained according to manufacturers’ directions, they will provide advance warning in case of fire.

Remember these tips about smoke alarms:

· Have smoke alarms on every level of your home, especially outside sleeping areas – and preferably inside bedrooms as well.

· Test them at least once a month, and replace batteries at least once a year – use a birthday or anniversary as a reminder, or when you set your clocks for Daylight Savings Time.

· Replace all detectors after 10 years.

· Place smoke alarms according to manufacturer’s directions.

· Clean the outside ONLY of a smoke alarm by gently going over the cover with the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner. Never paint a smoke alarm.

· Whenever a smoke alarm beeps, take it seriously. It might just be a false alarm from cooking, temperature changes, or dust—but you can’t afford to ignore the alert. Everyone in the family needs to react immediately.

· Develop and practice a home escape plan. Make sure your family knows two ways out of each room, a safe meeting place outside, how to call 9-1-1 once they’re out, and why they should NEVER go back into a burning house.

· West Virginia State Code requires all property owners to provide and install a working smoke alarm in the vicinity of the sleeping areas.

For more information on smoke alarms and home fire safety, visit these websites:

http://www.energizer.com/learning-center/Pages/change-a-battery-save-a-life.aspx
http://www.nfpa.org
http://www.usfa.fema.gov