Franklin, TN – Six Franklin retailers will discount smoke alarms by 20 percent during the 2nd Annual “Smoke Alarm Discount Day” on Saturday, October 9, as part of the Franklin Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Week activities. Participating stores are:
- Harpeth True Value – Columbia Avenue
- Home Depot – South Royal Oaks Boulevard
- Kmart – Watson Glen
- Lowes – Mallory Lane
- Target - Cool Springs
- Wal Mart – Mallory Lane
“Many homes in Franklin may not have any smoke alarms, not enough smoke alarms, alarms that are too old, or alarms that are not working,” said Jamie Melton, Fire and Life Safety Educator for the Franklin Fire Department. “We want residents to understand that working smoke alarms are needed in every home, on every level of the home, including the basement, outside each sleeping area and inside each bedroom. And, if a smoke alarm is 10 years old or older, it needs to be replaced.” Melton said Smoke Alarm Discount Day is an excellent day to purchase alarms at a discount and make sure you have the full smoke alarm protection that’s recommended. She said that firefighters will be on hand to assist shoppers, as well.
“Most people have a sense of complacency about smoke alarms because they already have one in their homes,” said Melton. “But smoke alarms can mean the difference between life and death in a fire.” National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics show that working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire nearly in half. But they must be working properly to do so. NFPA’s data shows that many homes have smoke alarms that aren’t working or maintained properly, usually because of missing, disconnected or dead batteries. Roughly two-thirds of all home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
NFPA and the Franklin Fire Department agree that interconnected smoke alarms offer the best protection; when one sounds, they all do. This is particularly important in larger or multi-story homes, where the sound from distant smoke alarms may be reduced to the point that it may not be loud enough to provide proper warning, especially for sleeping individuals.
The Franklin Fire Department offers the following tips for making sure smoke alarms are maintained and working properly:
- Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button, and make sure everyone in your home knows their sound.
- If an alarm “chirps,” warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
- Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they’re 10 years old (or sooner) if they do not respond properly when tested.
- Never remove or disable a smoke alarm.
To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities in Franklin, please contact the Franklin Fire Department at (615) 791-3270, or visit our website at
www.franklintn.gov/fire.
Respectively Submitted,
Debbie Gerstenberger
Secretary, Andover Townhomes HOA
