Every year, nearly 3,500 Americans die each year in fires and approximately 18,300 are injured. Every home needs several smoke alarms to avoid needing a burn injuries attorney in Baton Rouge. A good rule is to change the batteries when you set your clocks back.

The U.S Fire Administration Division of FEMA offers the following safety guidelines for fire prevention and proper use and installation of smoke alarms:

  • Have a working smoke alarm that senses flames, as well as a smoky fire that has fumes without flames ― called a "Dual Sensor Smoke Alarm."
  • Put a smoke alarm on the ceiling of every level of your home; both inside and outside bedrooms. Practice your escape route with your children. Know which adult is responsible for which children.
  • If you sleep with your bedroom doors closed, put a smoke alarm on the ceiling of each bedroom.
  • Do smoke alarm checks every month by pressing the test button.
  • Never take smoke alarm batteries out to use them in other items like games or remote controls and then put them back.
  • Let the children hear what the smoke alarm sounds like when you test them.
  • If smoke from cooking makes the alarm sound, press the "hush" button if your alarm has one. Don’t take the battery out of the alarm.
  • Replace the batteries once a year. If your smoke alarm is over 10 years old, replace it with a new alarm and a new battery.

Our legal team urges you to keep your home and your family safe by having the proper number of smoke alarms in your house and following proper safety guidelines.

The personal injury attorneys at Marks and Lear PLC want all people to be safe in their homes by having the proper number of working smoke alarms. They offer free consultations for burn injuries in the Baton Rouge area.