The Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) is encouraging residents to take precautions against fire this week in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week.

This year, Fire Prevention Week is focusing on the difference smoke alarms can make in a fire with a campaign of “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month!”

According to research from the National Fire Protection Association, working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire in half, and almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

“In a fire, seconds count,” said Long Beach Fire Chief Michael Duree in a statement. “Roughly half of home fire deaths result from fires reported at night between 11PM and 7AM when most people are asleep. Home smoke alarms can alert people to a fire before it spreads, giving everyone enough time to get out.”

The LBFD recommends the following safety tips regarding smoke alarms:

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
• Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. This way, when one sounds, they all do.
• Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.
• Batteries need to be replaced when you change your clocks for daylight savings, or when you hear the alarm “chirp” – that means that the battery is low.
• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or sooner if they don’t respond properly.
• Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm and understands what to do when they hear it.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week in Long Beach, call the LBFD at 562-570-2598.