- Home
- Divisions & Services
- Fire & Life Safety Education
- Adults
- Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Program
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Program
Working smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms save lives, and it's important that you have them installed in your home. North Metro Fire will provide a battery-powered smoke alarm and/or carbon monoxide alarm at no charge to residents who are financially unable to provide one for their home.
The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) reports that three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Furthermore, 23% of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes in which smoke alarms were present but did not operate. The death rate per 100 reported fires was twice as high in homes without a working smoke alarm as it was in home fires with this protection.
Install smoke alarms inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
CO alarms should be installed on each level of the home -- ideally on any level with fuel burning appliances and outside of sleeping areas. Additional CO alarms are recommended 5-20 feet from sources of CO such as a furnace, water heater or fireplace.
You should also replace your smoke alarms at least every 10 years and your CO alarms as instructed by the manufacturer (usually within 5-7 years).
Please call 303-452-9910 to ask questions or to request a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm.
The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) reports that three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Furthermore, 23% of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes in which smoke alarms were present but did not operate. The death rate per 100 reported fires was twice as high in homes without a working smoke alarm as it was in home fires with this protection.
Install smoke alarms inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
CO alarms should be installed on each level of the home -- ideally on any level with fuel burning appliances and outside of sleeping areas. Additional CO alarms are recommended 5-20 feet from sources of CO such as a furnace, water heater or fireplace.
You should also replace your smoke alarms at least every 10 years and your CO alarms as instructed by the manufacturer (usually within 5-7 years).
Please call 303-452-9910 to ask questions or to request a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm.
Battery changes
- Standard battery-powered CO and smoke alarms - North Metro Fire encourages residents to replace their smoke and CO alarm batteries at least once a year, preferably twice a year when you change your clocks for daylight saving time.
- 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms - This type of smoke alarm is designed to provide up to 10 years of protection without a battery change. However, if your 10-year alarm begins to chirp, it is warning you that the battery is low, and you should replace the entire smoke alarm right away.
- Hard-wired smoke alarms - Hard-wired smoke alarms are powered through your electrical system. However, good hard-wired smoke alarms have batteries to back up their operation in case there is a power outage. Make sure to replace these batteries at least once a year.