WYOMING — Are those smoke detectors working?
Gov. Mark Gordon has proclaimed Oct. 6 through Oct. 12 as Fire Prevention Week in Wyoming. This year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms: Make Them WORK for You.” Gordon is taking this opportunity to urge Wyomingites to double-check that their homes are equipped with working smoke alarms.
“We lost three Wyoming residents in home fires in 2023 and Wyoming fire departments responded to 2,317 house fires,” Gordon’s office said via press release. “Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms are crucial tools in preventing tragedy in your home and business. They provide the early warning that can make all the difference between life and death.”
Gordon’s announcement notes that smoke alarms reduce the chances of dying in a home fire by 54% if they are properly installed and maintained. Fire safety experts recommend placing alarms on every level of the home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping
areas. Test alarms every month and replace them if they are more than 10 years old.
According to the announcement, Fire Prevention Week is the longest-running public health and safety observance in the country, having first been recognized by President Calvin Coolidge in 1925.
Read Gordon’s full proclamation here.
