Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
A startling statistic is that death rates are twice as high in homes without working fire alarms. SAFE Kids USA reports that over one hundred thousand kids are hurt every year in the US in fire and burn incidents. These incidents are also the the third leading cause of death for children under fourteen years old. In sixty six percent of the cases where a child was injured or died from a residential fire, the fire alarms either weren’t working or were simply never installed. Remarkably, statistics show that a working fire alarm reduces your chances of dying in a fire by fifty percent.
Making sure that the fire alarms in your home are working is incredibly simple and inexpensive to do. A Nebraska Fire Department spokesperson offered the following tips for making sure your home’s fire alarms are in working order:
• Fire alarms that are older than ten years old should be replaced.
• Batteries should be replaced twice a year, don’t wait for them to start chirping: pick a set of dates you are likely to remember and put them on your calendar.
• If your fire alarm does start chirping, DO NOT simply turn it off and plan to replace the battery “later.” Go to the store immediately and replace the battery right away.
• Consider installing hard-wired alarms, which are more reliable.
• Take extra care with cigarettes, home cooking equipment and space heaters.
Find out more ways to protect your child from fire and burn injuries at Change your clock, check your batteries.