More than 77 million smoke alarms in America are outdated. Fire safety experts strongly recommend that, to ensure safety, you replace your smoke alarms before they are 10 years old. First Alert Electronic Smoke Detector Model 18391 has been recalled. Overview Communities across the country are reporting families saved from certain tragedy thanks to the early warning of residential smoke detectors. The fires in offices, schools, hospitals, and places of assembly receive a good deal of attention, but the major problem is the home fires that, although they claim fewer lives at a time, they do so with greater frequency.
Smoke detectors help the home occupants by giving early warning so they can escape.
In addition, the earlier the fire is discovered, the less property the fire can destroy before it is extinguished. When the dwelling occupants escape from a burning home because of an early warning, the fire fighter does not have to attempt an unnecessary or risky rescue. Fire fighting is the most hazardous occupation in the United States, and search and rescue is one of the most dangerous services performed by the fire fighter. While the early warning is often accredited with saving lives of the home's occupants, don't forget that the smoke detector's warning may have also protected a firefighter. When smoke detectors are not in the home, the firefighter is then forced to try to make up the difference.