Smoke Alarms

Free Smoke Alarms for Residents

To schedule an appointment to have smoke alarms installed or checked in your home, please contact: Manchester Fire-Rescue, (931)728-2999 or email us.

 All homes should have working smoke alarms. Smoke Alarms (battery type and electric) have an approximate 10-year shelf-life and should be replaced every 10 years. Smoke Alarms should be in every bedroom and in a common area in the home also. 

For homes with battery type smoke alarms, Manchester Fire-Rescue has partnered with the State Fire Marshalls "Get Alarmed" Program. This program provides "FREE" smoke alarms for residents. The target audience for this program are the elderly and residents that can't normally afford to replace their smoke alarms, but the program is available for all residents.

Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. Having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half.

According to a National Fire Protection Association survey, it shows that from 2009-2013, fires in homes with no smoke alarms caused an average of 940 deaths per year (38% of home fire deaths). An additional 510 people per year (21% of home fire deaths) were fatally injured in fires in which smoke alarms were present but failed to operate. Power source problems were the leading cause of smoke alarm failures.

The death rate per 100 reported fires was more than twice as high in homes with no or no working smoke alarms (1.18 deaths per 100 fires) as it was in fires with working smoke alarms (0.53 deaths per 100 fires). 

In addition to having working smoke alarms, follow these other important tips to make sure your home is fire-safe:

  • Always stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling, or broiling food.
  • Check to see that matches and lighters are kept up high in a cabinet with a childproof lock.
  • Develop a home fire escape plan with two ways out of every room and an outside meeting place. Share and practice the plan with every member of the household.
  • Keep portable space heaters and candles 3 feet away from anything that can burn, including people, furniture, and pets.
  • Always turn off portable space heaters when you leave the room or go to bed.
  • Have the chimney cleaned and checked regularly.
  • Do not smoke in bed.
  • Make sure that all matches and ashes are cool before being thrown away.
  • Make sure that extension cords are in good condition and are used to power small items only – never major appliances.

To schedule an appointment to have smoke alarms installed or checked in your home, please contact: Manchester Fire-Rescue, (931)728-2999 or email us. 

Help/Online support from leading smoke alarm manufacturers

Helpful Resources

For residents that have a hearing impairment:

FREE HEARING IMPAIRED SMOKE ALARMS ACCESSORY:

 There are a number of people across our county with a hearing impairment, are hard of hearing or deaf. They normally may not hear a traditional smoke alarm to alert them to a fire or smoke situation in their home. 

 Smoke alarms and alert devices, called accessories, are available for people who are deaf. When people who are deaf are asleep, a high-intensity strobe light is required along with a pillow or bed shaker to wake them up and alert them to fire conditions so they can escape. Currently, this equipment is activated by the sound of a standard smoke alarm Manchester Fire-Rescue partnership with the State Fire Marshall Office also provides this service FREE of charge for our hearing impaired residents. 

Safe Awake Device.JPG

 

This device has a High-Intensity light that flashes and emits a low pitch sound to alert occupants while sleeping. It also has a bed shaker attached to it that will vibrate the bed when it is activated. This device is activated by the smoke alarm currently installed in the home and works very well.

To schedule an appointment to have smoke alarms installed or checked in your home, please contact: Manchester Fire-Rescue, (931)728-2999 or email us.