Who has working smoke detectors in their home?

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Aussiemike

Aussiemike

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I have had anxiety of my house burning down all my life and have many smoke detectors throughout my home. Fire blanket in kitchen and various small car type fire extinguisher's all be it most are past expiry date around the place.
I hear so, so often on the news "family saved because of working smoke detectors" and sadly "family perishes because of no or non working smoke detectors".
They are mandatory for landlords to have them fitted to all rental property's over here.
Also hear so often of people perishing in caravan/mobile homes fires due to not having smoke or gas detectors.
So if you dont have em, get em, because this world wouldn't be as good without you in it! (y):)
 
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Did Australians ever adopt the practice of placing stickers on children's bedroom windows, as a way of alerting firefighters to their location?
tot finder.jpg
 
Our house has built in smoke detectors in every room. Been mandatory in new homes in CA and AZ for at least 25 years. When we moved in the house was 10 years old and all the units were due for replacement, all 8 of them. A bit of a chore since our ceilings range from 12 to 17 feet, lol. Had to rent a 12' ladder from HD. Only problem now is replacing the backup batteries every 2 years.
 
I need to replace mine. They have expired. On the list as soon as I'm back on my feet.

HOWEVER, I can say this. The vast overwhelming majority of the structure fires I have been on, well over 400, were in homes that were not kept up. Rentals, rundown ''slum'' like houses etc.

Prevention is #1. Keep your house non cluttered, in good repair, keep that extinguisher handy, don't do stupid stuff in you house...open flame inside etc, keep your furnace and water heater area clear of junk and you will cut your risk of fire greatly.
 
replaced the batteries in 2 just yesterday. I don't wait for them to beep alert. try to do it every 12 months, but I get lazy and let them go a few months longer sometimes. These were at 16 months. I'm more fearful of a gas blow up than a general fire/wiring issue. but if that happens, you'll be pieces anyway.
 
The club I used to go to for lunch cheaped out on their smoke detectors so anytime I smoked a latakia blend, the fire brigade would arrive.

They loved me, must've cost them several thousand in call out fees from the firies.

Don't cheap out on these things, seriously.

Oddly enough, my house smoke alarms never went off from pipe smoke.
 
I wasn't aware that there are homes that lack smoke detectors. My family has been quite poor for generations and we still had them and installed good batteries. I have always heald the assumption that they were standard for everybody in any western nation and probably elsewhere too.
 
Gaius Marius said:
I wasn't aware that there are homes that lack smoke detectors. My family has been quite poor for generations and we still had them and installed good batteries. I have always heald the assumption that they were standard for everybody in any western nation and probably elsewhere too.
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A shockingly high number of homes don't.
 
Aussiemike said:
No Bill not that I have ever seen but a good idea.(y)
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I ran across this, after asking that question:

Over the years, many families have affixed decals known as Tot-Finder® stickers to the window or door of a young child's room to alert firefighters to the presence of that child. The bright red and silver, reflective decals are emblazoned with the words "Tot Finder" and an image of a firefighter carrying a child to safety. But the NFPA doesn't recommend using the stickers, citing three concerns; The decals might direct an intruding child abductor to a sleeping child; and if a child no longer sleeps in the bedroom with the decal - either because he or she has moved to a different room or is older and no longer needs the assistance of the sticker - it could waste valuable time for a firefighter trying to get the most vulnerable family member out of danger.

{I only count 2 concerns.}
 
Bill (w/eoPd) said:
I ran across this, after asking that question:

Over the years, many families have affixed decals known as Tot-Finder® stickers to the window or door of a young child's room to alert firefighters to the presence of that child. The bright red and silver, reflective decals are emblazoned with the words "Tot Finder" and an image of a firefighter carrying a child to safety. But the NFPA doesn't recommend using the stickers, citing three concerns; The decals might direct an intruding child abductor to a sleeping child; and if a child no longer sleeps in the bedroom with the decal - either because he or she has moved to a different room or is older and no longer needs the assistance of the sticker - it could waste valuable time for a firefighter trying to get the most vulnerable family member out of danger.

{I only count 2 concerns.}
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Yes, I thought it might be a flag for pedos also. I know we were trained to put a pillow outside a residents room and shut door to show firefighters that no one was in that room in a aged care facility's if a fire occurred.
 
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Zeno Marx said:
replaced the batteries in 2 just yesterday. I don't wait for them to beep alert. try to do it every 12 months, but I get lazy and let them go a few months longer sometimes. These were at 16 months. I'm more fearful of a gas blow up than a general fire/wiring issue. but if that happens, you'll be pieces anyway.
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Yep same here Zeno. I write the date on a bit of sticky tape and stick on the battery that I replace every 12 months or so.
 
Bill (w/eoPd) said:
I ran across this, after asking that question:

Over the years, many families have affixed decals known as Tot-Finder® stickers to the window or door of a young child's room to alert firefighters to the presence of that child. The bright red and silver, reflective decals are emblazoned with the words "Tot Finder" and an image of a firefighter carrying a child to safety. But the NFPA doesn't recommend using the stickers, citing three concerns; The decals might direct an intruding child abductor to a sleeping child; and if a child no longer sleeps in the bedroom with the decal - either because he or she has moved to a different room or is older and no longer needs the assistance of the sticker - it could waste valuable time for a firefighter trying to get the most vulnerable family member out of danger.

{I only count 2 concerns.}
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Yeah, been that way for almost 30 years. We would only search a specific room if mom/dad/sibling told us someone was in there. Otherwise we will search the whole house except the room/area with active fire.
 
I have three, all with CO detectors as well. I heat with wood so our stove is running most of the time in winter. I also am a DAT (disaster action team) responder for the American Red Cross. We get thousands of smoke detectors donated every year and have multi-day Sound the Alarm events. We find underserved neighborhoods and get dozens of our Redcrossers and local fire men to install them for free. Connects us and the fire departments to our residents.
 
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