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M/CLEAR Temp: 76 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Friday, August 16, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Cyberchef E The People Golf Job Network Headbone Zone Wellness Connection Movie Times Newspaper in Education Oregon CarZone Outdoor Journal Personals Prime Times Real Estate Tempo A & E TV Times W3 Magazine CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Destinations Automotive Communities Employment Entertainment Publications Real Estate Recreation Shopping Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Jobs @ Mail Tribune Email Story to a Friend July 29, 2002 Only working smoke alarms save lives Fire officials say stricter laws, new guidelines have not snuffed out the problem By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune Even as the Rogue Valley skies are blanketed in smoke, fire officials say residents can’t be reminded enough that properly maintaining smoke alarms can prevent fatalities during a fire. Six months after stricter laws regarding smoke alarms went into effect, officials from Fire District 3 say they are too often greeted by nonworking smoke alarms when responding to residential fires. "Nothing has really changed across the country," said Lou Gugliotta, Fire Marshall for District 3. "Sixty-five to 75 percent of people who have smoke alarms, when they need replaced, don’t replace them. We go on a number of structure fires where the batteries have been bad for a year or more or they’ve simply been taken out for one reason or another. "It’s very demoralizing when there is a fatality and you know a smoke alarm could have alerted someone in time." Despite education campaigns, like Tuesday’s Test Day, Gugliotta said too many residents fail to take advantage of the inexpensive "life insurance" provided by smoke alarms. According to the Oregon State Fire Marshal Web site, of 26 fatal residential fires in 2001, smoke alarms were only present in 11 homes and only five were found to be working. Residential fires claimed the lives of 32 Oregonians in 2001. As of Jan. 1, all newly built and tenant-occupied dwellings were required to meet new state standards adopted June 23, 1999: Battery operated smoke alarms sold in Oregon must be sold with, and powered by, a 10-year battery. All ionization smoke alarms — both hardwired and battery operated — must have a "hush" feature that will temporarily disable the smoke alarm in the event of a false alarm and restore power within minutes. Smoke alarms — in both tenant-occupied and newly constructed homes — are required to be placed outside each sleeping area and on every level of a home. The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office also recommends an alarm in every bedroom. Fire District 3 Deputy Fire Marshal Mark Moran said the hush feature and 10-year battery both decrease the likelihood of alarms being disabled. "Too many people would take the batteries out when they burnt a piece of toast," said Moran. "The hush feature gives them time to clear things out and then it comes back on so they’re still protected. Oregon is unique in that the only type of detector you can buy is the type that meets these new standards. There’s less likelihood of tampering when you take the human side out of it for a longer period of time." An added bonus of the 10-year battery, explained Moran, is that the battery’s oblong shape is not as compatible with most appliances or toys, lessening the possibility of the battery being "borrowed" for other use. While individual homeowners are not required to meet the new standards, when a home is sold the homeowners must comply with regulations that were in place when the home was originally built. "Obviously we recommend that everyone meet the new guidelines. We have no recorded cases in our jurisdiction of fire fatalities where there were working smoke detectors present," Moran said. "Where we end up having injuries and fatalities is when there is not a working smoke detector present and that holds true in most jurisdictions. "It’s proven fact that if you’ve got a working smoke detector it’s a lot less likely you’ll meet your demise in a fire." For more information, call your local fire department or log onto the State Fire Marshal’s site at www.sfm.state.or.us on the Web. Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected] Most fires occur between the hours of midnight and 8 a.m. A working smoke alarm more than doubles the possibility of surviving a fire. Smoke alarms 10 years old or older should be replaced. Install smoke alarms in every home, on every level, outside each sleeping area and in every bedroom. Test smoke alarms monthly and vacuum dust and cobwebs on and around smoke alarms Three types of alarms — ionization, photoelectric, combination — are equally effective. A variety of smoke alarms are available for the hearing impaired. When purchasing an alarm, look for UL-listing, hush feature, 10-year battery, malfunction signal and a loud alarm. Make a home escape plan and practice two times per year. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S