Dear Mr. and Mrs. America,

I’m your Smoke Detector and I have a “burning” question: Why don’t you and the rest of the family get out of the house when I sound my warning?  You always assume that somehow I’m not doing my job and that there must be something else wrong besides a fire.  Everyone goes to see what the problem is, i.e., what is causing the detector to malfunction?  That’s the wrong relationship for you to have with your smoke detector!  Keeping your family safe from the ravages of fire has been my sole purpose in life since I earned my UL® certification at the factory and first came to your home.  But I need help if I’m to do my job properly. 

Our partnership requires a systematic approach involving everyone in our home, especially the children (I learned that at the factory).  You took care of the first step when you made sure that me and my fellow smoke detectors were properly installed in all the required areas of the house.  But to be quite honest with you, we don’t get the monthly attention that we need to help keep us sharp and alert for the presence of smoke.  You really need to properly test each of us monthly to make sure our “smoke sensors” are still up to par.  That way, when I do sound my alarm, you and everyone else will know it’s the “real deal.”

But my noise making is only part of the system.  You and the rest of the family need to get to know E.D.I.T.H. (Exit Drills in the Home).  And then you and the family need to practice the plan, especially with the children when they’re sleeping: studies have suggested that sleeping children may not hear me sounding my alarm and won’t wake up.   Make sure that our plan includes the adults being responsible for ensuring that the children react and get out and that we have a designated meeting place outside so that you can “count noses” to make sure everyone is out safely.

If you can do these things, then we’ll all know E.D.I.T.H. really well!  That way, when you hear me giving my “shout” you and everyone in the house will know that it’s time to “get out.”

With love,

Your Smoke Detector