Fire prevention: Installation and regular testing of smoke alarms advised

As part of Fire Prevention Week, Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety is reminding residents to install and regularly test smoke alarms as a precaution as undetected fires.

“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 Capt. Parrish Purdy of the Fire Prevention Bureau.

Flanked by MFD mascot dogs Sparky and Poki, Mayor Richard Bissen proclaimed Oct. 6 to 12 as Fire 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!”

Monday’s proclamation notes that, in 2022, more than 2,700 people in the country died in home fires in the United States, 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 provide early warnings to structure occupants who 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. Alarms should be tested at least once a month, and residents should have a fire escape plan and practice it. 

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

More information is available at https://mauicounty.gov/1805/Fire-Safety-Information and https://mauicounty.gov/1465/Fire-Prevention-Bureau.