September 25, 2024, Press Release from the National Fire Protection Association: September 25, 2024 – According to the latest “Smoke Alarms in the U.S.” report from the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®), working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half (60 percent), while the majority of civilian home fire deaths continues to occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working alarms. These statistics—coupled with newly released findings from a comprehensive U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) survey—reinforce the critical importance of Fire Prevention Week™, October 6–12, and this year’s theme, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!™ ”A newly published survey by CPSC, which was conducted in coordination with the Fire Protection Research Foundation (the research affiliate of NFPA) and the National Institute for Safety and Technology (NIST), assesses the prevalence, functionality, and public perception of smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in U.S. households. According to the findings, nearly all U.S. households (99 percent) report having at least one smoke alarm, which reflects a significant increase from 88 percent in 1994. However, more than half of households (61 percent) test their smoke alarms less frequently than recommended (at least once a month). A third (33 percent) say they never test their smoke alarms.