A smoke alarm is an important home safety device when properly installed and maintained. Using a smoke alarm can help prevent injury, save your family’s life, and minimize property damage in the event of a fire.

The National Fire Protection Association says that about half of the deaths from house fires in the US take place in a small percentage of homes that do not have smoke alarms.

Homes with smoke alarms installed (oddly enough, whether or not they are working), have a 40-50% lower death rate than homes that do not have installed alarms. Installing smoke alarms makes sense.

The NFPA also reported that in roughly 25 percent of homes that had smoke alarms installed, the devices were not working. There are now more non-functioning smoke alarms installed than homes with no smoke alarms installed at all. An important point is that working smoke alarms save lives.

Minimally, each home should have one detector outside of each sleeping area, and at least one smoke detector on each level of the house.

Types Of Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms can be divided into two groups; the first group is defined by how the alarm is powered and the second group is defined by how the alarm detects smoke.

Smoke alarms can get their power from being hard wired into the electrical system of a home, by a lithium battery that can last several years, or by a basic 9-volt battery that needs to be checked monthly and replaced annually.

There are two types of smoke alarms: ionization detectors and photoelectric detectors.

Ionization detectors work by using a bit of radioactive material, and creating an electrical path within the detector. When smoke reaches the detector, the smoke molecules become attached to the ions altering the electrical current consequently setting off the alarm.

Photoelectric detectors contain a small light bulb and a photocell that gets activated when light hits it. When smoke enters the detector, it reflects light towards the photocell, which then activates the alarm.

• Cigarette smoke detectors and alarms help enforce smoke free rules in public places like hospitals, schools and businesses. A cigarette smoke detector is essential for this purpose.
  
• Firex makes a complete line of smoke detectors. Firex smoke detectors and Firex smoke alarms include ionization smoke alarms, photoelectric smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors. There is also a Firex smoke alarm range and other specialty alarms for the hearing impaired
  
• First Alert smoke alarms have features such as a dual sensor and a nuisance resistant 'smart' alarm, which contains a microprocessor that can sense the difference between a false alarm and a real emergency. They have a ten-year battery, are tamper resistant and have a bright strobe light to aid your escape.
  
• BRK smoke alarms have special features such as a silence button, battery back-up, and compartment locks, smoke and carbon monoxide combination alarms, and powerful strobe safety lights
  
• Kidde smoke alarms feature battery operated (DC) or wired in (AC) powered smoke alarms. They also offer the first on the market UL listed wireless smoke alarms for either the battery operated or the wired in alarms.