Having working smoke alarms in your home, cuts the risk of dying in a fire by half. That, from Saskatoon Fire Department Fire Marshall, Ryan Bradley, leading into Fire Prevention Week October 6th to 12th. The theme this year is “Smoke alarms – make them work for you!”. Bradley explains, “When a fire does happen in your home, you only have seconds to escape, so that early warning gives you that advance notice to make sure you and your loved ones can get out of your home safely.” The National Fire Protection Association says roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Fire Marshal Bradley advises that when it comes to maintenance, the recommendation for alkaline battery alarms is to test them once a month, inspect them every three months, and replace the batteries once a year. He recommends testing them once a month, inspecting them once a year and replacing them every ten years, which is the life span of the batteries.
Hard-wired smoke alarms should also be tested once a month and inspecting annually.

The first open house is Wednesday at Fire Station Number 1 on Idylwyld Drive South between 5 and 7:30. The second is the following Wednesday, October 2nd at Fire Station Number 8 on Slimmon Road. Each open house includes fire engine tours, presentations on fire prevention, treats and a chance to meet with members of the Saskatoon Fire Department.