Fire Prevention Week: know the sounds of fire safety

When your smoke or carbon monoxide (CO) alarm sounds, you need to take action.

This Fire Prevention Week – from Oct. 3 to 9 – Leduc County is partnering with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to encourage citizens to "Learn the sounds of fire safety."

Alarms can make sounds for several reasons, such as to notify you when smoke and/or CO is detected, that batteries need to be replaced or that the device needs to be replaced.

Learning the sounds of fire safety – the sounds your smoke and CO alarms make – is a simple action that could save your life. Knowing how to respond to each sound helps you act fast when seconds matter.

Keven Lefebvre, Fire Chief

In the event of a fire, you may have as little as two minutes to escape safely. CO is a gas you cannot see, taste or smell and exposure to it can be fatal. Working smoke alarms and CO alarms give early notification of smoke, fire and CO; this gives you and your family more time to get out safely.

Common sounds and what they mean

Smoke alarms

• Continuous set of three loud beeps – beep, beep, beep – means smoke or fire is detected. Get out, call 9-1-1 and stay out.
• Single chirp every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be replaced.
• Chirping that continues after the battery is replaced means the alarm is at the end of its life and needs to be replaced.

Carbon monoxide (CO)alarms

• Continuous set of four loud beeps – beep, beep, beep, beep – means CO is detected. Get outside, call 9-1-1 and stay out.
• Single chirp every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be replaced.
• Chirping that continues after the battery is replaced means the alarm is at the end of its life and needs to be replaced.

Smoke and CO alarm tips:

• Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, and install smoke and CO alarms outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home.
• Test your smoke and CO alarms at least once per month.
• Make sure everyone in the home understands the sound of the smoke and CO alarms and knows how to respond.
• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old and replace all CO alarms when they expire, as per manufacturer's instructions.
• Learn the different sounds your smoke and CO alarms make. Check the manufacturer's instructions that came in the box, or search the brand and model online.
• If you are deaf or hard of hearing, consider installing an alarm with flashing strobe lights or a bed and/or pillow shaker alarm.

View our smoke and carbon monoxide alarm tip sheet.

The NFPA has proclaimed Fire Prevention Week annually since 1925. During Fire Prevention Week, public awareness activities are hosted in communities around North America to educate the public on the importance of being prepared for fire emergencies.