Tuesday, October 11, marks the first day of this year's Fire Prevention Week with this year's theme being smoke alarms.

With smoke alarms being the best safety tool in the home, outdated and old smoke alarms may not be reliable.

According to the Office of the Fire Commissioner, fires can become lethal in as little as three minutes and the chances of surviving a fire without a functioning smoke alarm are reduced by half.

Smoke from a fire can become dangerous due to burning materials such as drapes, furniture, carpets, etc.

Some safety tips include:

  • Testing smoke alarms once a month, using the supplied test button, and ensure everyone in the house can hear the sound;
  • When an alarm makes a 'chirping' noise, it means the battery is low and should be changed immediately;
  • When a smoke alarm becomes 10 years old or older, they should be replaced as they are then considered outdated;
  • Never remove or disable a smoke alarm.