Full Notification

Tustin Police Department would like to remind you that March 13 was not only the day to change your clocks for Daylight Saving Time, but also to put fresh batteries in your smoke alarms.

Why are Smoke Alarms Important?

Every year in the United States, about 3,000 people lose their lives in residential fires. In a fire, smoke and deadly gases tend to spread farther and faster than heat. That's one reason why most fire victims die from inhalation of smoke and toxic gases, not as a result of burns. A majority of fatal fires happen when families are asleep because occupants are unaware of the fire until there is not adequate time to escape. A smoke alarm stands guard around the clock and, when it first senses smoke, it sounds a shrill alarm. This often allows a family the precious but limited time it takes to escape.

About two-thirds of home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms are considered to be one of the best and least expensive means of providing an early warning of a potentially deadly fire and could reduce the risk of dying from a fire in your home by almost half.

Where Should Smoke Alarms be Installed?

Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of the home, outside sleeping areas, and inside bedrooms

• Install a working smoke alarm on every level of the home, outside sleeping areas, and inside bedrooms.

• Replace smoke alarm batteries at least annually, such as when resetting clocks in the fall or spring.

• Test all smoke alarms in your house once a month.

• Do not place a smoke alarm too close to a kitchen appliance or fireplace, as this may result in nuisance alarms.

• Avoid locating alarms near bathrooms, heating appliances, windows, or ceiling fans.

• Replace smoke alarms that are more than 10 years old. Smoke alarms don’t last forever.


Fire Escape Plan May Save You and Your Family

Installing working smoke alarms is an essential, but they don’t save lives unless everyone knows how to get out of the home safely. Make sure everyone knows how to escape when the smoke alarm sounds, whether awake or sleeping at the time. In your plan, have two ways out of each room, a prearranged meeting place outside and, most importantly, ONCE OUT - STAY OUT!

Minimizing the amount of time it takes to get out can improve your chances of surviving a hazardous home fire. Having a fire escape plan for you and your family can reduce the amount of time it takes to get out. Practicing the fire escape plan will help everyone understand what to do and where to meet.

• Develop and practice a fire escape plan, because working smoke alarms and a fire escape plan will increase your protection in case of a fire.

• A fire escape plan will help reduce the amount of escape time required for you and your
family to get out safely.

• If your primary escape path is blocked by smoke, flames, and heat, use your secondary
escape method, such as an alternative door or window.

The amount of time a person may have to escape depends on many factors, such as the type of fire, location of the fire, and the closest smoke alarm. SO REMEMBER….

If the smoke alarm sounds…
• Do not waste any time saving property.

• The fire has already developed and the closest smoke alarm has detected the smoke.

While escaping…

• It may be smoky; getting low may make it easier to breathe and see. Smoke contains toxic gases which can disorient you or, at worst, overcome you.

• The time it takes to get out depends on many factors including mobility, helping others, escape route, time of day, smoke, fire, and the location of the fire relative to you.

Most IMPORTANTLY while exiting the Home…

• Once you are out of the home, never re-enter the
home.
• ONCE OUT – STAY OUT!