According to statistics, half of all deaths caused by home fires in the U. S. occur at night between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., when people are most likely to be sleeping. A working smoke alarm in the home cuts the risk of dying in a fire in half.

These facts underscore the extreme importance of working smoke alarms in all bedrooms.

That’s the message behind this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Hear the Beep Where You Sleep – Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm.”

Along with fire departments and safety advocates nationwide, Renton is joining forces with the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) during Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4-10, to remind local residents about the importance of working smoke alarms in the home – specifically in every bedroom – and testing them monthly.

“Sadly, fires often happen when people are sleeping.  Having working smoke alarms in bedrooms is a critical element of home fire safety,” Renron Fire Chief Mark Peterson said in a press release. “Smoke alarms can make the difference between life and death in a fire by alerting people in time to escape safely, but they need to be installed in all the required locations, including all bedrooms, and they need to be working.”

This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign includes the following smoke alarm messages:

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement;

• Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. This way, when one sounds, they all do;

• Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button;

• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or sooner if they don’t respond properly;

• Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm and understands what to do when they hear it; and

• Install smoke alarms and alert devices that meet the needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing.