Ten-Year Life Of Smoke Alarms

Working smoke alarms detect and alert people to fire in its early stages, providing the warning needed to escape safely. According to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in reported home fires nearly in half. However, smoke alarms don’t work forever.

Staunton firefighters are concerned that the presence of smoke alarms in local residents’ homes (most U.S. homes have at least one) may give them a false sense of security. Oftentimes, people don’t know how old their smoke alarms are, if they’re still functioning properly, or at all...