A new public service announcement from the Overland Park Fire Department highlights the importance of replacing not just your smoke detector’s batteries, but the device itself.
Smoke detectors should be replaced every ten years.
In the new announcement, released in conjunction with fire prevention week in Overland Park, Fire Department officials asked Overland Park residents whether they would “trust their life to a 10-year-old.” Overwhelmingly, the answer was, “no.”
Staff took the opportunity to ask whether residents are aware of how old their smoke detectors are, and reminded them of the significant risk of letting smoke detectors age beyond ten years.
All smoke detectors have a manufacture date on the back of the device. Remove yours from the wall or ceiling and check the date to make sure yours are in good working service. If the date on the back of the smoke detector is ten years ago or more, replace it.
You should also maintain your smoke alarms by testing them once a month and replacing the batteries twice a year.
Learn more about fire prevention, including where to place smoke detectors, which types to install, and where to get smoke detectors for the deaf or hard-of-hearing, on our website.