Prevent Disasters! Use a fire alarm, carbon monoxide detector, or a combination fire-smoke-carbon monoxide detector in your home!!! Thousands of people die each year in homes in which no smoke detectors are present. Although in this country almost 93% of all homes have at least one smoke detector, almost 50% of all home fires and 60% of home fire deaths occur in those 7% with no smoke detectors present. If you have a home fire and your house has smoke detectors, the chances of someone dying are cut nearly in half. Most fatal home fires begin in one room and kill people in other rooms only after the fire has reached extremely high temperatures in the room of fire origin and the fire spreads to other rooms of the house. These fires are readily  detected by all common types of smoke detectors in time for sleeping occupants to be awakened and escape. Smoke detectors must be properly installed and maintained in order to provide adequate protection. One must also make wise use of the escape time they provide. Specifically, make sure: (1) you have protection on every level of your home; (2) your smoke detectors have been installed properly and are in working condition; (3) your smoke detectors are tested at least once a month by pushing the test button (batteries should be replaced at least once a year); and (4) at the sound of the smoke detector alarm, occupants escape, call the fire department from a telephone outside the house, and stay out of the home until the responding firefighters allow re-entry. The National Fire Alarm Code requires a minimum of one smoke detector on every level of the home and outside each sleeping area. In newly constructed homes, the code now requires all hardwired smoke detectors to be interconnected, so that if one smoke detector is activated, all smoke detectors in the house will sound the alarm. New homes are also required to have a smoke detector installed inside each room used for sleeping. Purchase smoke detectors that are approved by an independent testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Factory Mutual (FM). Their label assures consumers that these devices meet/exceed tough testing standards. Detectors that meet these standards can be relied upon to provide adequate protection from home fires. The two most common types of smoke detectors available to consumers are  photoelectric and ionization. Photoelectric smoke detectors respond slightly quicker to smoldering fires; whereas ionization smoke detectors react faster to flaming fires. Both types are excellent detectors and there are no significant fire protection advantages between the two. REMEMBER!! **81% of all civilian fire deaths occurred in residences** **Fire killed more Americans than all natural disasters combined** **Residential fires represented 25.4 percent of all fires and 77.4 percent of structure fires** **26.3% of residential fires are caused by cooking** Many of these events could have been avoided with the proper use of a fire alarm, carbon monoxide detector and smoke detectors. Be safe.