HEAR THE BEEP, WHERE YOU SLEEP

Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area,
and on every level of your home

NEW CITY, NY - - Did you know that about half of home fire deaths result from fires reported between 11 pm and 7 am, when most people are asleep? With that in mind, Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert encourage residents to "Hear the Beep, Where You Sleep," and install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of your home, including the basement.

"Hear the Beep Where You Sleep. Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm!" is the theme behind this year's Fire Prevention Week (October 4th – 10th) campaign from the National Fire Protection Association. Having working smoke alarms greatly increase your chances of surviving a deadly home fire, as they can alert you and your family to a fire, not only during the night, but 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

During Fire Prevention Week, come to an information table for the public located on the first floor of the Allison-Parris County Office Building, right outside the Legislative Chambers, at 11 New Hempstead Road, in New City. Information about smoke alarms, CO (carbon monoxide) alarms, fire prevention, and fire escape planning will be available.

The Health Department's Healthy Neighborhood Program can provide and install FREE smoke alarms to eligible residents, including low-income residents, seniors, and at risk families. All that is required is a brief home survey at the time of the visit. "We encourage residents to take advantage of the free smoke alarms, as we find many residents have outdated smoke alarms or no smoke alarms at all in their homes," said Christine Wagner and Shari Stopler of the Healthy Neighborhood Program. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 845-364-3292 or 845-364-3290.

With a few simple steps, residents can greatly reduce their risk of injury or death from fire. The Healthy Neighborhood Program also encourages residents to:

• Replace all smoke alarms, including those that use a 10 year battery and hard wired alarms, when they are 10 years old or sooner if they do not respond properly when tested.
• Change batteries in smoke alarms twice a year - when you change your clocks, change your batteries.
• If an alarm "chirps" that the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
• Test smoke alarms once a month by using the test button and make sure everyone knows the sound.
• NEVER smoke in bed, and do not walk away from a lit cigarette - better yet, try to quit smoking! Call the Health Department's Put It Out Rockland Quit Smoking Program at 845-364-2651 for one-on-one, or group, help with quitting and low-cost nicotine patches that can double your chances of being successful, or call the New York State Smokers' Quitline at 1-866- NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) for help with quitting.
• Never leave food cooking unattended - a serious fire can start in just seconds.
• Have your chimney inspected and cleaned.
• Make sure your furnace and all your appliances are inspected and working properly.
• Make sure your space heater is UL listed, and make sure that the cords are not frayed and the heater is in proper working condition.
• Never drape curtains or clothes over space heaters.
• Develop a home fire escape plan.
• Keep exits clear and free of debris.

"It is very important to correctly install smoke alarms in your homes and keep them in good working order. The facts are clear: almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes without working smoke alarms," said Dr. Ruppert.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week, and the "Hear the Beep, Where You Sleep" campaign for adults and children, visit nfpa.org/safety-information/fire-prevention-week.