Working smoke alarms save lives by alerting occupants to fires early. According to statistics from the Orange County Fire Authority, over 400 homes that experienced fires between 2004-2008 had no working smoke alarms, while 129 additional homes had smoke alarms that failed to activate. California law requires residential units to have smoke alarms, with newer units requiring electrical wired devices. Property managers should ensure smoke alarm systems are properly maintained and tested regularly to help protect tenants from fire.

1. Orange County Safe Apartment online Training: Maintaining working Smoke Alarms in Apartment Homes

3. Risk Message Working smoke alarms save lives during fires. More than 3,000 people in the United States, die each year in residential fires. Approximately two-thirds of these deaths occurred in homes with either no smoke alarm or no working smoke alarm. Having working smoke alarms in the home greatly improves a family’s chance of surviving a fire. Having a program to educate apartment owners, managers and maintenance staff on the importance of maintaining smoke alarms will save lives.

4. Smoke Alarms Basics The next slide is an YouTube video on smoke alarm basics from the National Fire Protection Agency Once you view the video you may continue to the next slide

5. Fire Statistics Orange County Fire Authority reports a total of 3,307 residential fire incidents between 2004 and 2008. Those fires resulted in 13 deaths and 223 injuries. Of these fires, 406 homes had no working smoke alarm. An additional 129 of the homes had smoke alarms that failed to activate. Sixteen percent of all residential fire incidents had no working smoke alarms.

6. History of Smoke Alarms By January 1, 1987 the Health and Safety Code require all residential units to be equipped with smoke alarm devices. Apartment units in existence prior to that date may install the stand alone battery powered smoke alarm devices to meet this requirement. Apartment units constructed after that date must have electrical wired devices. The landlord has a duty to verify that the detector is working when a tenant takes possession of the unit. This verification should be recorded by a separate document to the lease agreement. Since the early 1970’s apartments which are three (3) or more stories in height or which contain fifteen (15) or more units under one roof are generally required to provide a monitored automatic fire alarm system capable of alerting all tenants in the building to a hostile fire. The fire alarm system is required to be inspected by a licensed fire alarm company at least once a year. Various system designs may exist depending on the year the complex was built and if the complex is protected with a fire sprinkler system. The systems may have both smoke and heat detection devices be powered by the building electrical system or a low voltage fire alarm panel.

7. Smoke Alarm Systems Know your Smoke Alarm System and how to maintain your Smoke Alarm system in good working condition. Your apartment community may have a combination of system types!

8. Types of Smoke Alarms Systems