Mayor Ras J. Baraka, the Municipal Council, Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose, and Acting Fire Chief Rufus Jackson reminded residents today that as they move their clocks one hour back on Sunday, November 5, at 2 a.m., to begin Eastern Standard Time, they should also take the time to replace old batteries in home and office smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

Changing the batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors will increase the chance of home fire survival. In many homes, using space heaters, stove ovens, and other devices can produce odorless but deadly carbon monoxide fumes that can kill. Furthermore, improperly-maintained space heaters and fireplaces are potential causes of house fires.

“With the support of the American Red Cross, we were able to install 800 smoke detectors with 10-year lifespan, in homes in all five of our wards last year. However, smoke detectors that do not have such a lifespan cannot do their job of protecting residents and their homes from fire if their batteries are not fresh and checked regularly. We strongly suggest that residents take time to change those batteries. Make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working. The life you save may be that of your own or a loved one,” said Mayor Baraka.

“Winter is coming, and temperatures will drop. When the mercury dips, some families, struggling to pay their heating bills, will turn on the kitchen stove burners and the oven in an effort to take the chill off of their home. What these families don’t realize is how dangerous this practice can be. A gas oven or range top should never be used for heating. A fire could start and poisonous carbon monoxide (CO) fumes could fill the home. Any fuel-burning heating equipment (fireplaces, furnaces, water heaters, space or portable heaters), generators, and chimneys can produce carbon monoxide,” said Director Ambrose.

According to the non-profit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), hundreds of people die each year from unintentional CO poisoning. Fire Divisions responded to an estimated 80,100 CO incidents in 2010, a 96 percent increase from 40,900 such incidents in 2003, the latest years for which statistics are available. (This excludes incidents where a fire was present.) Close to 90 percent of CO incidents occur in the home.

“The Fire Division seeks to reduce the number of carbon monoxide incidents in the city of Newark and discourage anyone from using the range or oven to heat their home. Install CO alarms inside your home to provide early warning of accumulating CO. Have your heating equipment inspected by a professional every year before cold weather sets in,” Chief Jackson said.

Communities nationwide witness tragic home fire deaths each year. Approximately every three hours a home fire death occurs somewhere in the nation and 80 percent of those occur in homes without working smoke alarms. Non-working smoke alarms deprive residents of the protective benefits home fire safety devices were designed to provide. The most commonly cited cause of non-working smoke alarms are worn or missing batteries. Additionally, many homes do not have adequate smoke alarms or have out-dated alarms that require replacing. Households using the 10-year lithium smoke alarms are encouraged to test their alarms to ensure they are functioning properly.

Often called a silent killer, CO is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels, such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil and methane, burn incompletely. CO enters the body through breathing. CO poisoning can be confused with flu symptoms, food poisoning and other illnesses. Some symptoms include shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, lightheadedness or headaches. Everyone is at risk for CO poisoning, but infants, pregnant women and people with physical conditions that limit their ability to use oxygen, such as emphysema, asthma or heart disease, can be more severely affected by low concentrations of CO than healthy adults. High levels of CO can be fatal for anyone, causing death within minutes.

• CO alarms are not substitutes for smoke alarms. Know the difference between the sound of smoke alarms and CO alarms.
• Test CO alarms at least once a month.
• If your CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location and call for help. Remain at the fresh air location until emergency personnel say it is okay.
• If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for low batteries or other trouble indicators.

The Fire Division also warned against leaving space heaters on and fireplaces blazing unattended.  The majority of heating fire deaths is caused by space heaters or creosote build-ups in chimneys. Home heating equipment was involved in an estimated 56,000 home fires between 2009 and 2013, according to the NFPA. The cost of these fires was more than just property damage totaling $1.0 billion. The cost included 470 civilian lives and 1,490 injuries. Between 2009 and 2013, most home heating fire deaths (81 percent), involved stationary or portable space heaters.

“Home heating fires are largely preventable when you know the rules, but the Newark Fire Division’s goal is to reduce the number of home-heating fires in our community. But we need your help. We are urging Newark citizens to use extra caution when heating your home,” Chief Jackson said. “Put fresh batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Heat your house safely.”

The Fire Division recommends that you follow these guidelines:

• Space heaters need space. Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
• Turn portable heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.
• Plug power cords only into outlets with sufficient capacity and never into an extension cord.
• Inspect for cracked, frayed or broken plugs or loose connections. Replace before using.
• Have your chimney inspected each year and cleaned if necessary.
• Use a sturdy fireplace screen.
• Allow ashes to cool before disposing. Dispose of ashes in a metal container.
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best protection, interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home – when one sounds, they all sound. Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
• Install and maintain a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside each sleeping area.
• Never use an oven to heat your home.
• For fuel assistance, contact the National Fuel Funds Network at 1-202-824-0660.