When it comes to checking smoke alarms, some don’t remember to do it.
Firefighter Brian Mullin of the FDNY sees the consequences of not checking detectors firsthand when responding to deadly fires where smoke detectors don’t work.
“There’s no good feeling about walking out a fatal fire,” he said.
Mullin said he wants it to stop and started a company called The Buff Project that makes smoke detectors with team logos from the NFL.
His hope is that people will buy them and notice the design in their homes, that way they might pay more attention and check the batteries.
“The idea is to educate, empower, protect,” Mullin said.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, 4,000 people die in fires every year; 70 percent of deadly fires have no working smoke alarms and children and the elderly are less likely to escape a burning home.
“The chances of surviving in a fire is 50 percent greater if you have working smoke detectors,” Mullin said.
Mullin is urging the public to be aware and take daylight saving to think about fire safety and test your alarms because the simple step can save a life.
The FPA said you should check your detectors’ batteries every month and replace the detectors every 10 years.
