Fire Prevention Week is October 9-15, 2016 and Chatham-Kent Fire & Emergency Services wants you to join the Don’t Wait, Check the Date! selfie challenge.
“The theme of Fire Prevention Week this year is Don’t Wait, Check the Date of your smoke alarms,” says Public Educator, Whitney Burk. “Smoke alarms don’t last forever. So we challenge everyone to take a selfie of their family checking the expiry date of their smoke alarms and post it on social media tagging Chatham-Kent Fire & Emergency Services and hashtag #checkthed8, to show everyone your alarm’s up to date.”
Smoke alarms wear out over time and need to be replaced within the time frame indicated by the manufacturer, usually 10 years. The date of manufacture is indicated on the back of the smoke alarm and the expiry date is taken from that date. While smoke alarms typically last 10 years, some have different expiry time frames. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for the expiry time frame of your smoke alarms.
Chatham-Kent Fire & Emergency Services also reminds you that smoke alarms are required on every storey of your home and outside all sleeping areas. Test all of your smoke alarms monthly by pushing the test button on the alarm, and replace batteries at least once a year or when the alarm’s low battery signal begins to chirp.
Residences are encouraged to request a Home Fire Safety Check by visiting www.ckfire.com or calling 519-360-1998 if they have questions or concerns about their smoke and/or carbon monoxide alarms.
Firefighters are visiting schools across Chatham-Kent in support of Fire Prevention Week and this year’s campaign.
