OWL VFD and PWC DFR help residents of River Ridge Community
Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department help residents of River Ridge Protect their property and lives with Smoke Detector Inspections.
November 6, 2022, Woodbridge, Virginia –
Teams of OWL VFD members and personnel from Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue visited homes today in the River Ridge community to change batteries and test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Residents were ready, with new batteries in hand and open doors.
River Ridge is a community for residents aged 55+. For many, it’s difficult to change the batteries on their own, so OWL VFD has provided this service for many years.
Changing the batteries twice a year in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors is an easy step that can help save lives. Another easy step is to test these devices at least once a month and make sure everyone in your home knows the sounds.
Communities nationwide witness tragic home fire deaths each year, but, everyone can work together to help reduce the number of home fire fatalities. Approximately every three hours a home fire death occurs somewhere in the nation and 66 percent of those occur in homes without working smoke alarms. Non-working smoke alarms rob residents of the protective benefits home fire safety devices were designed to provide. The most commonly cited cause of non-working smoke alarms: worn or missing batteries.
Eighty percent of child fire fatalities occur in homes without working smoke alarms. It’s a tragic statistic that could be reduced by adopting the simple habit of the changing your battery when you change your clocks.
Additionally, the International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends that smoke alarms in homes should be replaced every 10 years and having both ionization and photo electric smoke alarms are best to alert people to all types of home fires.
The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most families are sleeping. Smoke alarm maintenance is a simple, effective way to reduce home fire deaths. Children and senior citizens are most at risk, and a working smoke alarm can give them the extra seconds they need to get out safely.
