Officials announce new smoke detector law

BLOOMINGTON – A public awareness campaign is underway regarding the state’s new 10-year smoke detector law.

Fire and public health officials gathered in Bloomington last month during the McLean County Fair to discuss the matter before senior citizens.

“In 2017, there were 114 residential fire deaths in Illinois and sadly already 76 fatalities so far in 2018,” explained State Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington). “The majority of these deaths are occurring in homes without working smoke detectors.”

The General Assembly passed a new law requiring Illinois residents to replace their old smoke detectors with the type that has a long term 10-year sealed battery by the end of the year 2022. This applies to residents who are still using alarms with removable batteries or alarms which are not hardwired.

While homes built after 1988 are required to have hardwired alarms, most of the older homes built before then still have smoke detectors with removable batteries, which are the kind this new law would impact. The new law just updates the 1988 law to reflect changes in new technology – aimed at saving lives and making it easier and more cost effective for Illinois residents to comply.

“While many people deactivate their older model smoke alarms or remove the batteries while cooking, the 10-year model is not a cooking nuisance and has a 15-minute silencer button. They are also very affordable with the current retail price being under $20,” said Illinois Firefighters Association and Illinois Fire Safety Alliance Government Affairs Director Margaret Vaughn.

To learn more about protecting your family from smoke, fire and carbon monoxide, visit the IFSA website at: www.ifsa.org or the First Alert website at www.firstalert.com.