Five nights ago, I started hearing a high-pitched chirping in my house. I recognized it immediately. My smoke alarm’s batteries had seen better days. I don’t spend a lot of time home between work, school, and my internship at the Red Cross, so it didn’t bother me enough to change them immediately.

In fact, I grew accustomed to the high pitched warning chirps. This seems slightly hypocritical since I just helped write a fire safety press release. And…October is Fire Prevention Month. It was time to get those changed.

I went home last night to find my entire smoke alarm dismantled. At least the chirping was gone. This would have satisfied my pre-Red Cross self, but after hearing countless horror stories of people losing everything from home fires I couldn’t just ignore it. The Oregon Red Cross alone responds to home fires about every 20 hours!

I replaced my 9 volt batteries and my smoke alarm is now up and running. Beware! Not all smoke alarms chirp, so don’t wait for it. Check your smoke alarm monthly and change the batteries once a year. You should also change the entire smoke detector every ten years. For more information on fire prevention, visit the Oregon Red Cross’s Fire Safety and Prevention Checklist.

This video also offers some great tips.