Hi, I am Patsieann Misiti with the Alexandria Fire Department in Alexandria, Virginia. Today, we have been talking about home heating safety another fire safety tips for the home. Now, we are going to talk about something very important, smoke alarms.

Every home should have working smoke alarm. They should be installed on every floor and inside or near each bedroom. You should test your smoke alarm once a month by pressing in the test button and holding it till you hear. Because smoke alarms are out of reach you can use a broom handle or a mop handle to test the alarm. You should also replace the batteries in your smoke alarm at least once a year. If your smoke alarm is more than ten years old, you should replace it.

So, today we have covered home heating safety and other basic fire safety tips. We talked about portable space heater, fireplace safety, carbon monoxide and smoke alarms.

For more basic information about fire prevention contact your local fire department and remember in an emergency call 911.