Request a free smoke alarm
If you live in West Florence Fire-Rescue's coverage area, we'll provide and install a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm in your home at no cost. Call or email and we'll schedule a quick visit.
Why smoke alarms matter
Most home-fire fatalities happen at night, when residents are asleep — and asleep, you can't smell smoke. By the time you wake up to flames or heat, you may have less than three minutes to escape.
Modern fires also produce carbon monoxide, an odorless and colorless gas that can incapacitate you before you ever realize there's a problem. A working smoke alarm gives you the warning you need to get out, and a CO alarm catches the threat you can't see or smell.
A working smoke alarm is the single most effective step you can take to protect your family from a home fire.
Smoke alarm placement & maintenance
If you already have alarms, these guidelines will help you keep them working when it counts.
Cover every level
Install one alarm inside every bedroom, outside every sleeping area, and on every floor of your home — including the basement.
Use the right type
For kitchens and bathrooms, use photoelectric or specialty models designed to reduce false alarms from cooking and steam.
Mind the placement
Keep alarms at least three feet away from air supply registers, fireplaces, and wood stoves to avoid drafts and false alarms.
Test monthly
Press and hold the test button until the alarm sounds. Replace batteries twice a year — a good reminder is when daylight saving time changes.
Listen for the chirp
If you hear a chirp roughly every 60 seconds, the battery is dying. Replace it right away — don't disconnect the alarm.
If it sounds, get out
If an alarm sounds continuously, exit the home and call 911. Don't go back inside for any reason until firefighters say it's safe.
Replace alarms every 10 years
Smoke alarms wear out. The sensors degrade over time even if the unit still beeps when tested. Look for the date stamp on the back of each alarm — if it's more than 10 years old, it's time for a new one. We can help with that too.
Make a home escape plan
An alarm gives you the warning, but a plan gets you out safely. Walk through your home and identify two ways out of every room. Pick a meeting place outside — a tree, a mailbox, a neighbor's porch — where everyone gathers after evacuating. Practice your plan twice a year, and include kids in the drill.
Schedule your free installation
It takes less than 30 minutes. We bring the alarm, install it where it should go, and answer any questions you have about home fire safety.