OSFM and IDPH Remind Residents to Test, Inspect and Replace Broken or Expired Smoke/CO Alarms as Daylight Saving Time Ends

ILLINOIS, November 1 - Over the past ten years, an average of 20 people per year have died in Illinois from accidental CO poisoning 

Springfield, Ill- The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) remind residents to test, inspect and replace any broken or expired smoke and CO alarms while they change their clocks this upcoming weekend as daylight saving time comes to an end.

In 2023, there were 89 residential fire deaths in Illinois with the majority of these deaths occurring in homes without working smoke alarms. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that between from 2018 to 2022 nearly three out of five (59 percent) home fire deaths were caused by fires in properties with no smoke alarms, almost three out of every five home fire deaths in the U.S. resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or non-working smoke alarms. Nearly two-thirds (66 percent) of the fatal injuries from fires in homes with smoke alarms occurred in properties with battery-only powered alarms. When present, hardwired smoke alarms operated in 94 percent of the fires considered large enough to trigger a smoke alarm. Missing or non-functional power sources, including missing or disconnected batteries, dead batteries, and disconnected hardwired alarms, were the most common factors when smoke alarms failed to operate.

"Statistics show smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half. Meanwhile, roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. It's simple, working smoke alarms save lives," said Illinois State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera. Take the time this weekend and test, inspect and replace any broken or expired alarms in your home. If you find a broken or expired alarm, don't wait, replace that alarm quickly."

Smoke alarms only have a life span of 10 years before they need to be replaced. If your alarm was manufactured before October of 2014, it's time to replace that alarm with a 10-year sealed battery device. "Materials used in modern home construction burn hotter and faster reducing the escape times to less than 3 minutes in most cases. Families need to review their fire escape plans and hold drills to ensure everyone in the house knows at least two ways out of every room and where to meet outside of the home in the event of a fire.

Here are some tips to help your family prepare or update their home fire escape plan:

• Get everyone in your household together and make a home escape plan. Walk through your home and look for two ways out of every room.
• Make sure escape routes are clear of debris and doors and windows open easily. Windows with security bars or grills should have an emergency release device.
• Plan an outside meeting place where everyone will meet once they have escaped. A good meeting place is something permanent, like a tree, light pole, or mailbox a safe distance in front of the home.
• If there are infants, older adults, family members with mobility limitations or children who do not wake to the sound of the smoke alarm, make sure that someone is assigned to assist them in the event of an emergency.
• If the smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside. Respond quickly - get up and go, remember to know two ways out of every room, get yourself outside quickly, and go to your outside meeting place with your family.
• Once you're out, stay out! Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building. If someone is missing, inform the fire department dispatcher when you call. Firefighters have the skills and equipment to perform rescues.

"Carbon monoxide can be a silent killer, and it is important that Illinoisians take the simple steps necessary to protect themselves and their family," said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra.  "The fall time change is the perfect opportunity to test not only your smoke alarms, but your carbon monoxide alarms as well.  Don't forget about your furnace too.  Regular furnace inspections can prevent a dangerous carbon monoxide leak."  

Director Vohra noted that hundreds of people wind up in Illinois emergency rooms each year because of carbon monoxide (CO) exposure, and over the past ten years, an average of 20 people per year have died in Illinois from accidental CO poisoning.  He pointed out that there are a number of precautions people can take to prevent such incidents, including:

• Installing and maintaining carbon monoxide detectors in your home
• Have your furnace inspected annually to ensure proper operation
• Never use appliances indoors that were intended for outdoor use, such as barbecue grills, camp stoves, portable generators, or gas-powered tools. Don't use ovens to help heat your home.
• Don't leave a car or truck running in an attached garage, even with the garage door open. If you run an engine inside a detached garage, make sure you leave the garage door open to let in fresh air.

More tips on fire escape planning can be found by visiting: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Preparedness/Escape-planning.