On Saturday, Chattanooga firefighters, along with staff and volunteers with the American Red Cross, will distribute free smoke alarms and batteries in the Avondale community. The staging area will be in the parking lot of the Avondale Recreation Center, located at 1305 Dodson Avenue.
The entrance to the parking lot is on Wilson St. Staging for this event will start at 9:30 a.m. They will begin canvassing the neighborhood around 10 a.m. The event is expected to last about two hours.
This event coincides with the weekend when you change your clocks forward one hour to Daylight Saving Time before you go to bed on Saturday. The Chattanooga Fire Department encourages everyone to change the batteries in their smoke alarms at least once each year. An easy way to remember is to change these batteries when you change your clocks. Some facts on smoke alarms are included below.
It is very important to have a working smoke alarm with a working battery in your home. On average, two out of three home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms.
Follow these 10 easy tips on smoke alarms:
1. One of the best ways to protect yourself and your family is to have a working smoke alarm that can sound fast for both a fire that has flames, and a smoky fire that has fumes without flames. It is called a "Dual Sensor Smoke Alarm."
2. Place a smoke alarm on the ceiling of every level of your home and outside bedrooms. Children and older people can sleep though the loud sound of a smoke alarm. Make sure your escape plan includes someone that can help children and others wake up immediately to escape from the home.
3. If you keep your bedroom doors closed, place a smoke alarm on the ceiling of each bedroom.
4. Check smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button.
5. Never take smoke alarm batteries out to put into other items like games or remote controls.
6. Teach children what the smoke alarm sounds like and what to do when they hear the alarm sound.
7. If there is a fire, leave the home right away by crawling low under the smoke and never go back inside.
8. If smoke from cooking makes the alarm sound, press the “hush” button, if your alarm has one. You can also turn on the kitchen fan, open a window or wave a towel near the alarm until it stops making the sound. Never take the battery out of the alarm.
9. Most alarms need a new battery at least once a year. Some smoke alarms have batteries that last for up to 10 years. If your smoke alarm is over 10 years old, replace it with a new alarm and a new battery.
10. If you rent, talk to your landlord about placing a working smoke alarm in your home. You still need to buy a new battery at least once a year for the alarm.