•Practice a fire drill at least every six months, including fire drills at night. Ensure that small children hear the alarm and wake when it sounds. They must wake up in order to execute the escape plan. Practice allows all occupants to test your plan before an emergency. You may not be able to reach your chil- dren. It is important they know what to do.

WHAT TO DO WHEN THE ALARM SOUNDS

•Alert small children in the home.

•Leave immediately by your escape plan. Every second counts, so don’t waste time getting dressed or picking up valuables.

•In leaving, don’t open any inside door without first feeling its surface. If hot, or if you see smoke seeping through cracks, don’t open that door! Instead, use your alternate exit. If the inside of the door is cool, place your shoulder against it, open it slightly and be ready to slam it shut if heat and smoke rush in.

•Stay close to the floor if the air is smoky. Breathe shallowly through a cloth, wet if possible.

•Once outside, go to your selected meeting place and make sure everyone is there.

•Call the fire department from your neighbor’s home - not from yours!

•Don’t return to your home until the fire officials say that it is all right to do so.

There are situations where a smoke alarm may not be effective to protect against fire as stated in the NFPA Standard 72. For instance:

a)smoking in bed

b)leaving children home alone

c)cleaning with flammable liquids, such as gasoline

9.NRC INFORMATION

Ionization type smoke alarms use a very small amount of a radioactive element in the sensing chamber to enable detection of visible and invisible combustion products. The radioactive element is safely contained in the chamber and requires no adjustments or maintenance. This smoke alarm meets or exceeds all government standards. It is manufactured and distributed under license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

10. NFPA REQUIRED PROTECTION

The National Fire Protection Association’s Standard 72 provides the following information:

Smoke alarms shall be installed outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms and on each additional story of the family living unit, including basements and excluding crawl spaces and unfinished attics. In new construction, a smoke alarm also shall be installed in each sleeping room.

Smoke Detection - Are More Smoke Alarms Desirable? The required number of smoke alarms might not provide reliable early warning protection for those areas separated by a door from the areas protected by the required smoke alarms. For this reason, it is recommended that the householder consider the use of additional smoke alarms for those areas for increased protection. The additional areas include the base- ment, bedrooms, dining room, furnace room, utility room, and hallways not protected by the required smoke alarms. The installation of the smoke alarms in the kitchen, attic (finished or unfinished), or garage is normally not recommended, as these locations occasionally experience conditions that can result in improper operation.

This equipment should be installed in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association’s Standard 72 (NFPA, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269).

NOTIFY YOUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND INSURANCE COMPANY OF YOUR SMOKE ALARM INSTALLATION.