Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives—Fire Officials Urge Every Home Needs Working Smoke Alarms
State and local fire safety officials gathered recently at the Paris Fire Department to emphasize the importance of lifesaving working smoke alarms and to promote smoke alarm free installation programs.
“Having working smoke alarms in your home is one of the simplest and most important ways to protect yourself and your family from a home fire. When a fire starts, every second matters, and working smoke alarms provide the early warning people need to get out safely,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal Michele Pankow. “Take a few minutes to test your alarms, make sure they are less than 10 years old, and replace any alarms that are damaged or not working properly. If you need assistance, contact your local fire department.
Our goal is zero fire fatalities, and making sure every Illinois home has working smoke alarms is an important step toward achieving that goal.”
According to the National Fire Protection Association, working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half (60 percent), while the majority of civilian home fire deaths continue to occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working alarms.
Key smoke alarm safety tips and guidelines:
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on each level of the home.
• Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
• Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.
• Replace all broken or expired smoke alarms that are 10 years old or older.
“The Be Alarmed! Smoke Alarm Installation Program aims to protect and educate residents across the entire state while reducing residential fire deaths and injuries. The partnerships built between Camp I Am Me, OSFM, and the 400 Illinois fire departments participating in this program has led to nearly 60,000 smoke alarms being distributed to protect residents - 1.5 million dollars’ worth of life-saving equipment. This is vitally important as the installation data we have collected since the program began in 2018 has shown that more than 70% of smoke alarms in homes that are receiving replacement alarms are non-functioning. This is a result of no batteries in the units, dead batteries, or the alarms are more than 10-years old in which the sensors can no longer be considered reliable,” said Philip Zaleski, Executive Director of Camp I Am Me by Illinois Fire Safety Alliance.
In 2025, the Statewide Blitz once again demonstrated the impact of collaboration and community outreach. In just one week, Illinois fire departments installed 1,320 smoke alarms in 465 homes across the state. Beyond providing lifesaving protection, firefighters educated 1,084 residents on fire safety practices, helping families not only have working alarms but also the knowledge to respond quickly and safely in an emergency.
