Smoke Alarm Day – 1 December
Fire Safety Week challenges you to test smoke alarms at your home on 1 December.
The most dangerous aspect of fire is smoke. It can fill an apartment in as little as two to three minutes. A working smoke alarm detects smoke quickly and provides an early warning.
Take care of fire safety of your loved ones as well.
Test your smoke alarms today – and your loved ones’ too!
Paloturvallisuusviikko haastaa sinut testaamaan kodin palovaroittimet 1.12.!
Vaarallisinta tulipalossa on savu. Se täyttää huoneiston jopa 2–3 minuutissa. Toimiva palovaroitin havaitsee savun nopeasti ja ilmoittaa vaarasta. Testaa kotisi palovaroittimet nyt!
Smoke alarm accessories alert people with hearing impairments
Visual and vibrating alarm devices are accessories designed especially for deaf and hard-of-hearing people to ensure that alarms are noticed even while sleeping.
Visual alarm: A flashing light placed on a table or mounted on a wall draws attention to an emergency situation.
Vibrating alarm: A vibrating device connected to a central unit is placed under a pillow or mattress. Its strong vibrations wake up a sleeping person.
People with hearing impairments may be able to obtain these devices as assistive equipment through their wellbeing services county.
Smoke alarms should be installed on the ceiling in every bedroom and hallway. Place the alarm at least 50 cm away from corners and wall junctions.
Do not install smoke alarms in kitchens or in dusty or damp areas.
Regularly test your smoke alarms by pressing the test button. A working smoke alarm will emit a loud sound. Testing is necessary even if the battery is new.
The smoke alarm will warn you when the battery is running low. A short beep repeated about once a minute is clearly different from the alarm signal.
Notify your housing company or the property owner if a smoke alarm is not working.
Smoke alarms should be replaced every 5–10 years. An old smoke alarm may no longer detect smoke properly, even if its test signal still works. Smoke alarms with batteries designed to last for the entire service life of the device are available. Even with long-life batteries, it is important to activate and verify their operation by testing the alarm regularly.
Various accessories are available for smoke alarms. For example, a bright flashing light or a vibrating alert can warn a person who cannot hear the smoke alarm.
Installing or replacing a mains-powered smoke alarm must be carried out by a qualified electrician.
Smoke and fire can spread extremely quickly. If you are in the apartment where the fire has started, your top priority is to get outside immediately. Consider the different escape routes available from your home. Teach your children to leave the building and call emergency number 112 even if a fire started as a result of their own actions, such as playing with matches. Does your child know what to do if they are home alone? Consider the ability of an elderly family members to evacuate safely.
If the fire is in another apartment, your own apartment is likely the safest place to stay. Do not enter the stairwell unless you are completely certain that no smoke from the burning apartment can enter the stairwell while you are evacuating.
If the fire is still small, you may try to extinguish it using a fire blanket or a fire extinguisher. Never put yourself at risk.
Call the emergency number 112 only after you are in a safe location. It is important to help guide the fire and rescue service to the scene. Once outside, gather at a pre-arranged meeting point.
The housing company or property owner is responsible for ensuring that there are enough working smoke alarms in the dwelling. Residents receive instructions on smoke alarm placement, use, and how to report any faults or deficiencies.
Residents should test smoke alarms regularly. Testing is the only reliable way to ensure that they are functioning properly. It is also an important part of everyone’s personal safety at home.
