Residents urged to check Smoke Alarms

In light of the recent fire fatalities of two children in Pickens County, the Oconee County Emergency Services Department urges residents to make sure that you have a working smoke alarm in your home. Each year it is reported that 2,490 children age 14 or younger are injured or killed in residential fires. By having a working smoke alarm in your home, you can dramatically reduce these injury and fatality numbers, explains Oconee County Fire Marshall Shane Gibbs. “A properly installed and maintained smoke alarm is the only thing in your home that can alert you and your family to a fire 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whether you are awake or asleep, a working smoke alarm is constantly on alert, scanning the air for fire and smoke. According to the National Fire Protection Association, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in properties without working smoke alarms.” A working smoke alarm significantly increases your chances of surviving a deadly home fire as early notification is crucial.