| Grinnell Fire Department |
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| Letter from the Chief Sicard |
Smoke alarms need to be a Grinnell success story
I cringe every time I hear this story: The family was making dinner when cooking fumes set off
the smoke alarms. Annoyed and trying to get the evening's dinner going, someone hurriedly
pulled out the batteries or disconnected the wires. Ah, peace and quiet at last, and a pleasant
family dinner. But then they forgot about the disconnected alarms. Now what?
As Chief of the Grinnell Fire Department, this scenario is the major reason why smoke alarms
are not working in one of every five households here and across the country. And a disabled
smoke alarm is a prescription for disaster. When fire strikes, we may have only moments to get
out safely. Without working smoke alarms to signal a fire, especially late at night, those are
moments we may not have.
If you are one of the people who think you will wake up to the smell of smoke if a fire starts,
you're wrong. The toxic smoke is more likely to put you into a deeper sleep. Late at night, the
loud sound of a working smoke alarm is the only thing that can give you time to escape when fire
strikes. And all kinds of fires can strike when you're asleep and not able to keep an eye on
things - a space heater, a pan on the stove, a discarded cigarette or lit candles.
The nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the official sponsor of Fire
Prevention Week held October 7-13, says that the majority of fatal home fires occur at night,
when we're sleeping. To prevent these needless deaths, NFPA, the Grinnell Fire Department
and the fire services across the United States and Canada are using Fire Prevention Week to
drive home a very important point: Working smoke alarms are absolutely essential in every
home, including yours.
Although 96 percent of American households have at least one smoke alarm, NFPA found that
roughly half of the home fire deaths occur in that tiny share of homes with no alarms. And,
NFPA says that about one fifth of all smoke alarms aren't working - mostly due to dead or
missing batteries. These are problems we can overcome, starting here in Grinnell.
Just having smoke alarms cuts your chances of dying in a home fire nearly in half. Plan a home
fire escape drill and you cut your chances even more. Practice good fire prevention and you do
even better.
Here's an important fact to remember: Seventy percent of all home fire fatalities occur in homes
with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
Working smoke alarms save lives and they can save yours. So what's your story? Right now, look
around your home and see if you have working smoke alarms. I've seen too much tragedy over
my 18-year career in the fire service and I don't want the next grieving family to be yours. Here
are a few things you can do to protect yourself from deadly fire with the help of home smoke
alarms:
Install smoke alarms on every level.
Place alarms outside each sleeping area.
Replace batteries every year, including back-up batteries in electrical alarms; if alarms chirp,
replace batteries immediately.
Test alarms at least once a month.
Install new alarms when the devices are 10 years old.
Never disconnect a smoke alarm or remove a battery in response to nuisance alarms. If steam
from the bathroom or cooking fumes causes the smoke alarm to signal, fan the air near the
alarm until the signal stops. Later, if you can relocate a smoke alarm farther away from the
kitchen and bath, you may be able to prevent future nuisance alarms. Try dusting or vacuuming
the alarm, or if it is an older unit consider replacing it.
The most important thing to remember is that you need working smoke alarms. It's just too
dangerous to be without them.
In response to this problem the Grinnell Volunteer Fire Department, in cooperation with
Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company and the Energizer "Change Your Clock Change Your
Battery" program will be kicking off a smoke detector inspection program. Any resident in the
Grinnell Fire District can have a firefighter come out and check their smoke detectors. Any
detectors that are missing, do not work or are over 10 years old will be replaced (we will not be
able to replace hard-wired detectors). If the detectors are functioning batteries will be replaced.
If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity please call 641-236-2655 to schedule an
appointment. Or for more information go to www.grinnellfd.com.
Sincerely,
Chief Sicard
I cringe every time I hear this story: The family was making dinner when cooking fumes set off
the smoke alarms. Annoyed and trying to get the evening's dinner going, someone hurriedly
pulled out the batteries or disconnected the wires. Ah, peace and quiet at last, and a pleasant
family dinner. But then they forgot about the disconnected alarms. Now what?
As Chief of the Grinnell Fire Department, this scenario is the major reason why smoke alarms
are not working in one of every five households here and across the country. And a disabled
smoke alarm is a prescription for disaster. When fire strikes, we may have only moments to get
out safely. Without working smoke alarms to signal a fire, especially late at night, those are
moments we may not have.
If you are one of the people who think you will wake up to the smell of smoke if a fire starts,
you're wrong. The toxic smoke is more likely to put you into a deeper sleep. Late at night, the
loud sound of a working smoke alarm is the only thing that can give you time to escape when fire
strikes. And all kinds of fires can strike when you're asleep and not able to keep an eye on
things - a space heater, a pan on the stove, a discarded cigarette or lit candles.
The nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the official sponsor of Fire
Prevention Week held October 7-13, says that the majority of fatal home fires occur at night,
when we're sleeping. To prevent these needless deaths, NFPA, the Grinnell Fire Department
and the fire services across the United States and Canada are using Fire Prevention Week to
drive home a very important point: Working smoke alarms are absolutely essential in every
home, including yours.
Although 96 percent of American households have at least one smoke alarm, NFPA found that
roughly half of the home fire deaths occur in that tiny share of homes with no alarms. And,
NFPA says that about one fifth of all smoke alarms aren't working - mostly due to dead or
missing batteries. These are problems we can overcome, starting here in Grinnell.
Just having smoke alarms cuts your chances of dying in a home fire nearly in half. Plan a home
fire escape drill and you cut your chances even more. Practice good fire prevention and you do
even better.
Here's an important fact to remember: Seventy percent of all home fire fatalities occur in homes
with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
Working smoke alarms save lives and they can save yours. So what's your story? Right now, look
around your home and see if you have working smoke alarms. I've seen too much tragedy over
my 18-year career in the fire service and I don't want the next grieving family to be yours. Here
are a few things you can do to protect yourself from deadly fire with the help of home smoke
alarms:
Install smoke alarms on every level.
Place alarms outside each sleeping area.
Replace batteries every year, including back-up batteries in electrical alarms; if alarms chirp,
replace batteries immediately.
Test alarms at least once a month.
Install new alarms when the devices are 10 years old.
Never disconnect a smoke alarm or remove a battery in response to nuisance alarms. If steam
from the bathroom or cooking fumes causes the smoke alarm to signal, fan the air near the
alarm until the signal stops. Later, if you can relocate a smoke alarm farther away from the
kitchen and bath, you may be able to prevent future nuisance alarms. Try dusting or vacuuming
the alarm, or if it is an older unit consider replacing it.
The most important thing to remember is that you need working smoke alarms. It's just too
dangerous to be without them.
In response to this problem the Grinnell Volunteer Fire Department, in cooperation with
Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company and the Energizer "Change Your Clock Change Your
Battery" program will be kicking off a smoke detector inspection program. Any resident in the
Grinnell Fire District can have a firefighter come out and check their smoke detectors. Any
detectors that are missing, do not work or are over 10 years old will be replaced (we will not be
able to replace hard-wired detectors). If the detectors are functioning batteries will be replaced.
If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity please call 641-236-2655 to schedule an
appointment. Or for more information go to www.grinnellfd.com.
Sincerely,
Chief Sicard