Why focus on smoke alarms four years in a row? Because NFPA’s survey data shows that the public has many misconceptions about smoke alarms, which may put them at increased risk in the event of a home fire. For example, only a small percentage of people know how old their smoke alarms are, or how often they need to be replaced.

As a result of those and related findings, we’re addressing smoke alarm replacement this year with a focus on these key messages:

• Test smoke detectors.
• Change the batteries at the same time you change your clock for daylight saving.
• Make sure you know how old all the smoke alarms are in your home.  Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.
• To find out how old a smoke alarm is, look at the date of manufacture on the back of the alarm; the alarm should be replaced 10 years from that date (refer to image below).