The FDNY Stresses the Importance of Working Smoke Alarms

Two tragic fires that took the lives of eight people on Oct. 11 and 12 remind all New Yorkers of the importance of having working smoke alarms in their homes.

A deadly fire at 401 W. 18 St. in Manhattan took the lives of six family members, including four children, on Oct. 11.

According to fire marshals, a smoke alarm was present in the family’s apartment, but it was inoperable because the battery had been removed and it had been unplugged from an electric power source.

On Oct. 12, a fire killed a man and his 12-year-old nephew at 1214 Hancock St. in Bushwick, Brooklyn. They did not have a smoke alarm installed in their apartment, fire marshals said.

During National Fire Prevention Week and throughout the year, the FDNY stresses the importance of having working smoke alarms in every home.

Smoke Alarms

Although 97 percent of homes have a smoke alarm, more than one third of them are inoperable because the batteries have been removed or are not working. Most of them have been disabled due to nuisance alarms caused by cooking vapors or steam from the bathroom.

Many smoke alarms now are made with a hush feature that allows the occupant to quiet the alarm for a short period of time, such as while cooking, eliminating the need to remove batteries.

If you are shopping for a new alarm, the FDNY Fire Safety Education Unit recommends photoelectric or photoelectric/ionization smoke alarms, because they are less sensitive to nuisance alarms. They also will alert occupants to smoldering fires more quickly than the more common ionization alarms.

Smoke alarms with a 10-year lithium battery also are recommended for elderly people or people who have difficulty changing the smoke alarm batteries twice a year.


Learn more about safely installing and maintaining smoke alarms in your home.