It’s fire prevention week once again, and this year’s theme is “smoke alarms make them work for you.” Which always reminds of this question – when was the last time you checked that your smoke alarms were still working. And no, not just because your popcorn or frozen pizza was burnt. Or because they started beeping at 2 a.m. in the morning due to a low battery.

It’s recommended to test smoke alarms at least once a month by hitting that test button. Smoke alarms should also be replaced every ten years or after they have stopped working when tested.

Smoke alarms should also be placed on every floor of your home and in every separate sleeping area in your home. Their job is to alert you in case of a fire, as smoke rises. If someone in your family has sensory or physical disabilities that would mean they don’t hear the smoke alarm, they should have an alert system that lets them know there is an emergency in the home as well.

It’s also a good time to go through your families emergency plans in case of a fire, like what routes to take out of your home to safety and where you will meet up in case that happens.

Practicing those drills is important in case of an emergency.