"Be Alarmed" - Free Smoke Alarm and Installation Program
The Hanover Park Fire Department has joined the "Be Alarmed!" Smoke Alarm Installation Program to help distribute and install FREE smoke alarms to our residents. Along with the installation, the department members will educate residents on fire safety and prevention in their homes.
The "Be Alarmed" Smoke Alarm Installation Program distributes FREE fire safety education materials and FREE 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms to fire departments in the State of Illinois. This includes a limited number of bed shaker smoke alarms for our deaf or hard-of-hearing residents. The fire departments then deliver the education while installing smoke alarms in homes within their communities. The fire departments will record data on the alarms installed for reporting purposes. Both the educational materials and smoke alarms are provided at no cost as a result of funding from both the Camp I Am by Illinois Fire Safety Alliance (CIAM) and the Office of the State Fire Marshall (OSFM).
Smoke Alarms Save Lives
Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire injuries and deaths. Fire spreads fast - working smoke alarms give you early warning so you can get outside quickly. According to the latest NFPA research, when working smoke alarms are present in your home, the risk of dying in a fire is reduced by 60 percent. Every home should have at least one smoke detector on every floor, and one outside every sleeping area.
Bed Shaker Alarms
People who are deaf or hard of hearing may not be able to depend on the traditional smoke alarm to alert them to a fire. Smoke alarms and alert devices are available for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Strobe lights flash when the smoke alarm sounds. The light warns people of a possible fire. While asleep, a pillow or bed shaker can wake people so they can escape. The shaker is activated by the sound of a smoke alarm. Bed Shaker Alarms are available FREE of charge through the Hanover Park Fire Department "Be Alarmed" Smoke Alarm Installation Program. Please let us know if you have a household member who is deaf or hard of hearing when you register for the program below.
For additional information on alerting devices for the deaf or hard of hearing, visit these manufacturers: lifetone Technology, SafeAwake, and SilentCall Communications.
New Illinois Law
As of January 1, 2023, Illinois law requires that any new smoke alarm installed in a single-family or multi-family home have 10 year-sealed batteries. This will ensure the detector works when needed without homeowners maintaining new batteries every six months. Monthly testing is still encouraged!
Smoke Alarm Safety Reminders,
- Test smoke alarms every month and replace 9-volt smoke alarm batteries at least once every year.
- Put smoke alarms outside each bedroom and sleeping area. Put alarms on every level of the home.
- Smoke alarms do not last forever. Get new smoke alarms every 10 years.
- If the alarm sounds, get outside and then call 9-1-1.
- Install at least one carbon monoxide (CO) alarm on each level of the home to protect against the "silent killer".
- Interconnected smoke alarms throughout the home provide added protection. When one smoke alarm sounds, all other alarms will sound.
- When purchasing a smoke alarm, make sure the alarm has a laboratory label (UL) or (FM) and an alarm loud enough to wake a sleeping family. the alarm should also have a malfunction signal for low battery.
Frequently Asked Questions
As of January 1, 2023, a new law now requires that any new smoke alarm installed in a single-family or multi-family home have 10-year sealed batteries. This will ensure the alarm will work when needed without homeowners maintaining new batteries every six months. Testing is still encouraged!
How many smoke alarms do I need? The Illinois Smoke Alarm Law requires a smoke alarm within 15 feet of every sleeping room. If mounted to the ceiling, smoke alarms must be 6 inches from any wall, or on a wall located between 4 and 6 inches from the ceiling. They must be placed on every level of a home, except unoccupied attics. Hanover Park Fire Department will follow the Illinois requirements for smoke alarm placement.
Who will be coming to your home? Hanover Park Firefighters or volunteers from our Fire Corp Program will be installing your new smoke alarms.
I am not a resident can I still get smoke alarms? Unfortunately, if you are not a resident of Hanover Park, we cannot offer you the benefits of this program. Reach out to your local fire department to see if they are offering this program.
I have hard wired smoke alarms, but only a few, can I still request these free smoke alarms? Yes. Your hard-wired alarms in your home must stay active and up to code. These free alarms are not to replace them but add to your home.
How often should I replace my smoke detectors? Smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years. Check the manufacturer's recommendations for your specific model. It is a good idea to write the date of installation on the smoke alarms when they are installed.
Can apartment complex managers and business owners request the free smoke alarms be installed on their properties? No, as a business owner, they must supply and install their own smoke alarms for their tenants by policy. The smoke alarms received from the Be Alarmed! Program are for homeowners living in their residences only.