Smoke Alarms

Change your clock, change your battery!

The Orange Township Fire Prevention Bureau would like remind all residents of Orange Township to change the batteries in their smoke detectors when they change their clocks in the spring and fall. It is also important to be aware of the type of detector you have. This is vital to insure you and your family’s protection. 

Early detection of fires is crucial to escape time, because the time to untenable conditions in residences can be as little as 3 minutes for typical flaming fire scenarios. Both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarm technologies quickly alert occupants in most fire scenarios. In controlled experiments, ionization alarms react earlier than photoelectric alarms in fast-flaming fires, such as those involving paper or flammable liquids, while photoelectric alarms tend to react substantially earlier than ionization alarms in smoldering fires, such as those ignited by cigarettes in upholstered furniture, bedding materials, and mattresses. To ensure that both smoldering and flaming fires are detected as quickly as possible, the best protection is to have each type of alarm installed, or dual ionization/photoelectric alarms.

Currently 90% of homes only have ionization alarms installed in them. Ionization alarms are about $5, photoelectric alarms are around $20, and dual alarms are about $30.

Anyone with questions or that may need assistance with their alarms should not hesitate to contact the fire prevention department 740-548-7104.