A working smoke alarm is your first line of defence if there is a fire in your home.

Install alarms throughout your home. Remember, smoke rises. When installing smoke alarms, place them on the ceiling or high up on a wall according to the manufacturer’s instructions. You should also consider adding interconnected smoke alarms. This way, if one smoke alarm goes off, they all do, helping to keep everyone safe.

Make sure everyone in your home can hear the smoke alarms. Smoke alarms and alert devices (also known as accessories) are available for people who are deaf/hard of hearing or for those who are heavy sleepers. Strobe lights or pillow/bed shakers are also available.

Be sure the smoke alarm bears the label of an independent testing lab and test the batteries regularly. Replace the batteries at least once a year.

View Edmonton Fire Rescue Services' smoke alarm safety tip sheet for more information.

Fire Facts

  • Fire fatalities occur as a result of breathing in smoke and toxic gases, not from the fire itself. Early detection is vital for survival.
  • 70% of people who die in home fires either don't have smoke alarms or their smoke alarms aren't working.
  • According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a properly installed, fully-functioning smoke alarm cuts the risk of dying in a fire by 50%.

Smoke Alarms Save Lives

If the alarm sounds...
  • Get out and stay out
  • Never go back inside for people or pets
  • If you have to escape through smoke, get low and crawl under the smoke toward your exit
  • Call 911 from outside your home
Maintain your smoke alarms
  • Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when installing smoke alarms
  • Install smoke alarms within 5 metres of each bedroom
  • Test alarms each month by pressing and holding the test button
  • Replace alarm batteries at least once a year
  • Replace all alarms (both electrical and battery-operated) every 10 years
  • Vacuum out the alarm every 6 months
Fire Safety Checklist

Do you...

  • Have working smoke alarms on all levels of your home?
  • Have Carbon Monoxide alarms outside all sleeping areas?
  • Dust the outside of your alarms periodically?
  • Have a home fire escape plan and periodically practice it?
  • Have house numbers clearly visible from the street?

Smoke Alarm Program

Smoke alarms save lives! In the event of a fire, a smoke alarm is your first line of defence.

For the 2020 Smoke Alarm Program, Fire Rescue Services will distribute information on smoke alarms and carbon monoxide safety to 600 homes in the Alberta Avenue area.

Officials use a variety of criteria to determine which houses qualify for the Smoke Alarm Program. A key factor is whether the house was built before 1974 and is located in a neighbourhood with a higher than average number of structure fires where working smoke alarms are not present.

Special thanks to Interstate Batteries for providing batteries for this program.

CO Alarm sleeping areas