As part of National Fire Prevention Week, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is issuing some alarming new statistics on smoke detector use in the United States.
CPSC says that there are 16 million U.S. homes with installed smoke detectors that would not work in a fire. That number is larger than the number of homes with no detectors at all.
The main reason, according to CPSC, is that people forget to replace run-down batteries or disconnect their detectors on purpose because they false alarm.
CPSC Chairman Ann Brown said, "More than a quarter of all U.S. homes are not protected by working smoke detectors, despite evidence they save lives. This number is astronomical, in comparison to the small cost of a detector or a battery.
"The smoke detector industry should take note. We need to develop smoke detectors that don't go off accidentally, causing frustrated consumers to disconnect them," said Brown.
CPSC is actively involved in fire prevention all year long. This year, CPSC took the following actions: issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for small open flame ignitions with upholstered furniture, enacted a mandatory standard requiring novelty and disposable cigarette lighters to be child-resistant, and recalled more than 250,000 sheer, two-layer skirts that violated the Flammable Fabrics Act.
In addition, fire prevention is one of CPSC's three priorities for the upcoming year. The agency will focus its fire prevention efforts on upholstered furniture flammability, home electrical system fires, and fires associated with ranges, ovens, and bedding.
As part of National Fire Prevention Week, CPSC has released a video news release on preventing smoke detector false alarms and insuring they have power to operate. To wind up the week, Chairman Ann Brown will address the families of fallen firefighters on Sunday, October 16, at a chapel service at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Md.
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. Since the CPSC was established more than 50 years ago, it has worked to ensure the safety of consumer products, which has contributed to a decline in injuries associated with these products.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
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