Smoke alarms are one of the most important safety devices in your home. They provide early detection when a fire starts, giving you and your family valuable time to escape. Smoke alarms can only work if:
1. They are present in your home
2. They are maintained and in working order
Help prevent nuisance alarms by maintaining your smoke alarms. Learn the sounds of your smoke alarms by watching this video.
Smoke alarms should be in the following areas of your home:
It can be overwhelming determining which smoke alarms are right for your home. To see what smoke alarms you have, first twist or unlatch the smoke alarm from your ceiling or wall.
Check the power source:
Hardwired alarms — You’ll see wires connected when you twist it off the base.
Battery-only alarms — No wires; just a battery compartment.
Yes! Smoke alarms expire.
Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years. Check the manufacture date on the back of the alarm and replace it once it reaches 10 years of age.
Test smoke alarms once a month by pressing the test button. 
Countryside Fire Protection District is a proud member of the Be Alarmed! Program, a fire safety education and smoke alarm installation program administered cooperatively between Camp I Am Me and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal. The program was developed to educate Illinois residents on the dangers of fire in the home and how to prevent fires from occurring in the home, as well as to ensure there are working smoke alarms properly installed in homes. Thanks to this program, Countryside is able to install 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms for residents within our Fire District as well as bedshaker alarms for residents who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing at no cost to residents. For more info visit our page click here.
For more information on smoke alarm installation and maintenance, visit the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA):
https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/home-fire-safety/smoke-alarms/installing-and-maintaining-smoke-alarms
