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Finding the right smoke detector

Reported by Laura Sinacori - bio|email
Posted by Debra Worley - email

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - Safety officials say smoke detectors are the difference between life and death, but not all detectors are created equal.

While no one is ever prepared for the devastation of losing a home to fire, you can be prepared for getting your family and yourself out alive.

Despite warnings from firefighters and examples that have proven deadly, some homes still don't have smoke alarms.

According to the NC Fire Marshall's Association, there were a dozen of fire deaths in NC in 2008 and there have already been more than a dozen deaths across the state so far this year.

Fire safety officials say if detectors had been installed, these unnecessary deaths may have been prevented.

Fire safety educator Meg Langston said there are two major types of smoke detectors: ionization and photoelectric.

Ionization detectors are more common and react faster to large flaming fires.  Photoelectric types detect a lack of light and respond faster to smoldering fires.

Chances are if a fire starts on your stove it's going to be a flaming fire and an ionization smoke detector will detect the flames first.

If a fire starts from a cigarette, chances are a photoelectric alarm would respond quicker.

When smoke is present, fire officials say just having a working detector increases your chance of survival.

"You never know what type of fire you are going to have, so we would recommend that if you are able to, get a photoelectric/ionization alarm," said Langston. 

Langston says if you can't get a dual detector to look at the expiration date on your current detector and make sure the batteries are charged.

The Wilmington Fire Department will come to your home for free to make sure you have smoke detectors installed and installed in the right locations.

They can also provide free detectors (ionization alarms with 10 year lithium batteries) and installation to anyone who needs it.

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