Delaware State Center Wiki: Smoke Detectors - The Key To Surviving A Fire In Your Delaware House Or Apartment

Smoke Detectors Are Important To Survive A Fire In Your Delaware Home or Apartment

A fire in your home is a frightening thought.

Can I escape?
Can I help the ones I love in an emergency?

These are concerns we all have. The Delaware State Center has compiled the following commonly asked questions regarding Delaware Building and Housing code requirements and how to best protect the ones you love.

Why is a smoke detector important?

Smoke detectors give you and your loved ones critical seconds to escape a burning building by sounding an alarm at the presence of smoke. The old saying, "where there's smoke there's fire" is true. An early warning of smoke in the house is critical because you can become asphyxiated very quickly by breathing smoke and would be unable to escape or help your loved ones. The seconds provided by the smoke detector's alarm can mean the difference between life and death. Your chances of surviving a fire are two times better when a smoke detector is present.

How many smoke detectors do I need to have?

Each Delaware building was required to meet the Building Code standard in the year it was built. All dwelling units must have at least one smoke detector. Current Delaware law, and the safest and most effective use of smoke detectors, requires one in each sleeping room and in the hallway.

If I am a tenant, is it my responsibility or my landlord's to ensure the smoke detector is working?

It is the landlord's responsibility to ensure there is a properly functioning smoke detector when you move in to your Delaware apartment or rental house. After that, the tenant is responsible for regularly checking the smoke detector battery. If you live in a single family home, duplex or a Delaware mobile home, you are responsible for maintaining the smoke detector in proper working order.

In Delaware apartments and all other dwellings, if the battery is dead or there is any other defect in the smoke detector, the owner must make repairs or replace the faulty smoke detector upon written notice of the condition from the tenant.

The smoke detector keeps going off every time I cook or shower. Is it O.K. to take the battery out?

NO. Never take the battery out of the smoke detector. It make be located too close to a cooking area or the bathroom. The most common cause of "false alarms" is lack of ventilation. Most false alarms can be prevented by opening a window while cooking or bathing.

I can't remember to check my smoke detector. Do you have any tips?

Yes. The easiest way to remember to check to ensure the smoke detector is working is to make a habit of checking it when you change the clocks in the spring and fall. If you haven't checked the smoke detector in your home in a while, check it now while you're thinking of it. Smoke detectors do save lives.