Help sound the alarm for Fire Prevention Week Published Sept. 30, 2014 PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Did you know that many people don't test their smoke alarms as often as they should? When there is a fire, smoke spreads fast. You need working smoke alarms to give you time to get out. Test yours every month! Sure they're annoying when they beep in the middle of the night due to a low battery, but please resist the temptation to yank that ghastly detector from the ceiling. As you'll see from the facts provided below, the only good detector is a working detector. We recommend keeping spare 9 volt batteries on hand, in fact, many insurance companies mail them out once a year as a reminder to change your batteries. Smoke alarm facts: · Almost 60 percent of reported home fire deaths in 2007 to 2011 resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. · Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home. · When a smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside · In fires considered large enough to activate the smoke alarm, hardwired alarms operated 93 percent of the time, while battery powered alarms operated only 79 percent of the time. · When smoke alarms fail to operate, it is usually because batteries are missing, disconnected, or dead. · An ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires and a photoelectric smoke alarm is generally more responsive to smoldering fires. For the best protection, or where extra time is needed, to awaken or assist others, both types of alarms, or combination ionization and photoelectric alarms are recommended. · Replace all smoke alarms in your home every 10 years.