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Smoke Detector Facts

--Smoke alarms save lives and money.

--38% of residences had an operable alarm during a fire, but these fires accounted for only 8% of total property loss.

--Only 6% of U.S. homes are not equipped with smoke alarms, yet 40% of residences with fire had no installed alarm.

--Alarms operate with more frequency in apartments than in one-and two-family homes. The reason may be that professional property man¬agers are generally responsible for maintaining the alarms, not the apartment dwellers.

--Multiple-fatality fires are less likely to have working smoke alarms.

How Smoke Alarms Work

Smoke alarms in residences are of two general types: ionization and photoelectric. Ionization alarms monitor the level of ions (electrically charged particles) in the air. They are generally sensitive to small smoke particles, which are produced by flaming fires. If present, these particles conduct a current within the alarm's chamber, activating the device. Photoelectric smoke alarms use beams of light and sensors to detect the presence of larger smoke particles (produced by smoldering fires), which interrupt the light beams and trigger the alarm.

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