Maui County residents urged to have working smoke alarms in homes

"Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!" is theme of Fire Prevention Week Oct. 6 to 12, 2024

Noting that smoke alarms can alert residents to danger, the County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety (MFD) is recommending that residents have working smoke alarms in their homes, as part of MFDʻs activities during Fire Prevention Week 2024.

"Installing smoke alarms and testing them once a month are simple steps everyone in Maui County can take to protect themselves and their ʻohana in the event of a fire in the home," said MFD Capt. Parrish Purdy of the Fire Prevention Bureau.

Flanked by MFD mascot dogs Sparky and Poki, Mayor Richard Bissen proclaimed Oct. 6 to 12 asFire Prevention Week 2024 in Maui County. The county joins the National Fire Protection Association and organizations across the nation in marking the week. This year's theme is "Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!"

The proclamation, presented Monday, notes that more than 2,700 people in the country died in home fires in the United States in 2022, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Approximately three out of five fire deaths occur in homes without smoke alarms or with non-working alarms, and functional smoke alarms can reduce the risk of dying in home fires by nearly half.

Smoke alarms are designed to detect smoke before people can, alerting them to danger when occupants may have as little as two minutes to escape safely, according to the proclamation.

It's recommended that residents install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of a home, have the alarms tested at least once a month, and practice a fire escape plan.

The American Red Cross has partnered with MFD to install 235 smoke alarms in the homes of kūpuna and lower-income residents throughout Maui.Information about the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaignis available by going to https://www.redcross.org/local/hawaii, using the "About Us" tab and clicking on Home Fire Safety-Sound the Alarm.

Information about fire safety is available online at https://mauicounty.gov/1805/Fire-Safety-Information and https://mauicounty.gov/1465/Fire-Prevention-Bureau.

# # #