Fire Prevention and Safety:
Why are functioning Smoke & Other Alarms important?
Alarms are one the first warnings against fire and other emergencies, it's important to make sure you have working alarms and even more important to keep those alarms working. These alarms will notify you when something is wrong in your home, possibly before you even notice. If you hear consecutive beeping from your alarm, exit the building and call 9-1-1 immediately.
| How do I take care of my alarms? |
- Test your alarms monthly to make sure they're working properly, if not, replace them ASAP
- If you hear a single chirp every 30-60 seconds, your battery may be low. Replace the battery ASAP
- Smoke Alarms are only good for 10 (ten) years. Replace them after 10 years to keep you, your family, and your home safe.
- CO Alarms have various "end of life" sounds depending on the manufacturer, replace your CO alarm if you hear your manufacturers warning
- If your alarm continues to beep after replacing the battery, that means it's time to replace it.
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Where can I find replacement Alarms?
Replacement Alarms can be purchased from any major retailer or home improvement store, as well as replacement batteries. For East Whiteland Residents, East Whiteland Township has free smoke alarms available, please fill out this form to request one.
Where should Smoke Alarms be placed?
Smoke Alarms should be placed inside each bedroom, outside of each sleeping area, and on every level of the home including the basement. For more information, on how and where to install smoke alarms, please see this link for more information.
What should I do if I have a family member who is deaf or hard of hearing?
There are now smoke alarms and other alerting devices that alert people who are deaf or hard of hearing. These devices may utilize strobe lights that flash to alert people when the smoke alarm sounds. For additional information, please see the following Safety Tip Sheet from the NFPA.
How do I prepare my family for when our alarms go off?
The easiest way is to make a Family Action Plan and review it, please click here for a family action plan template courtesy of NFPA. The NFPA also has kid-friendly activities for Fire Prevention Week 2021 as well as other fire safety topics.
Litium-Ion Battery Safety:
Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly found in devices and systems that the public and first responders use or interact with daily. While these batteries provide an effective and efficient source of power, the likelihood of them overheating, catching on fire, and even leading to explosions increases when they are damaged or improperly used, charged, or stored. Learn more about Lithium-Ion Battery Safety from the NFPA here.
How do I dispose of Batteries Properly?
With batteries, especially those that are damaged, being fire hazards, it's important to never place them in your curbside recycling bin or trash. Learn how to properly dispose of batteries with Chester County Solid Waste Authority.
Additional Safety Tip Sheets
Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety
Smoke Alarms at Home
Carbon Monoxide Safety
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