Updated: July 04, 2017
THE TENNESSEE FIRE MARSHAL ADVISES RESIDENTS THAT PROPER SMOKE ALARM PLACEMENT MAKES A CRUCIAL DIFFERENCE IN HOME FIRE SAFETY. ACCORDING TO A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE, CONSUMERS SHOULD REMEMBER THAT PROPERLY INSTALLED SMOKE ALARMS ENHANCE EARLY FIRE WARNING AND CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH. UNFORTUNATELY, SOME ALARMS INSTALLED IN THE WRONG PLACES CAN RESULT IN FREQUENT NUISANCE ALERTS AND MAY LEAD A RESIDENT TO DISABLE THE ALARM LEAVING THEM UNPROTECTED IN THE EVENT OF AN ACTUAL FIRE. NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION STATISTICS INDICATE THAT IN HALF OF REPORTED HOME FIRES IN WHICH SMOKE ALARMS WERE PRESENT BUT DID NOT OPERATE, BATTERIES WERE MISSING OR DISCONNECTED WITH NUISANCE ALARMS AS THE LEADING REASON FOR DISCONNECTED ALARMS. AN ADVANCEMENT INCLUDED ON SOME NEW ALARMS IS A "HUSH" FEATURE WHICH ALLOWS THE RESIDENT TO TEMPORARILY SILENCE AN ALARM SET OFF BY A NUISANCE SOURCE. THE HUSH BUTTON IS TO BE USED ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE CONFIRMED THERE IS NO DANGER PRESENT. CONSIDER THESE GENERAL GUIDELINES WHEN INSTALLING SMOKE ALARMS: INSTALL ALARMS AT LEAST TEN FEET FROM A COOKING APPLIANCE TO MINIMIZE FALSE ALARMS WHEN COOKING. MOUNT ALARMS HIGH ON WALLS OR CEILINGS, REMEMBER SMOKE RISES. DON'T INSTALL SMOKE ALARMS NEAR WINDOWS, DOORS, CEILING FANS OR DUCTS WHERE DRAFTS MIGHT INTERFERE WITH THEIR OPERATION. AND TEST YOUR SMOKE ALARMS MONTHLY AND REPLACE BATTERIES ONCE A YEAR OR WHEN A LOW BATTERY ALARM CHIRPS. TENNESSEE RESIDENTS CAN REQUEST A FREE SMOKE ALARM BY VISITING THE WEBSITE TN.GOV/FIRE.