Home Smoke Alarms: The Data as Context for Decision

Considerable attention has been devoted to how home smoke alarms could be more effective at preventing fire deaths. The death rate per 100 reported home fires is half as high in homes with working smoke alarms compared to homes without this protection. This paper summarizes what is known about the performance and effectiveness of home smoke alarms and of victim characteristics in home fires with and without operating smoke alarms based on statistical analysis of actual fire experience data. Special studies on other factors affecting smoke alarm performance, audibility, and nuisance alarms are also discussed. The paper also identifies several questions that cannot, at present, be conclusively addressed.