Smoke detectors
Every house should have at least one. Batteries should be checked at least once a year and replaced. They should be tested every few months to be sure that they are working properly. What are they? They are smoke detectors, a device that has saved more lives than you can even count. At the first indication of smoke inside of any home or building, they emit a horrible high pitched beeping sound that makes people clamp their hands over their ears. Their warning sounds aren't meant to be pleasant. They are intended to wake people from the deepest of sleep and annoy people. Those annoying and incredibly loud shrills are meant to tell people to be aware and possibly get out of the house.
I have three smoke detectors in my house. One of them, in the kitchen, must drive my neighbors crazy. It goes off at least once every few weeks when I am cooking something for a few moments too long or even burn a piece of toast. It is incredibly sensitive, but it has saved me from a disaster. Once, after making toast for myself and settling down to watch the morning news, when my smoke detector sounded. As I bolted from the couch, I smelled a horrible stench. It turned out that when I?d put the cloth cover back on my toaster, it had pushed down one of the levers. The heat had started to make the cloth cover turn black and smoke. Having a smoke detector probably saved me from having a disaster in my kitchen. Now, I never leave my toaster plugged in. One of my smoke detectors also detects carbon monoxide. Sometimes having an alarm system installed in your house can act as a smoke or carbon monoxide detector as well. Plus, if the smoke detectors sound, emergency personnel is contacted immediately through your
alarm system.
Smoke detectors have done more than their share of saving lives and properties. Most people will install them and then never glance at them again. They don't bother to change their batteries or test them. They figure that they don't have to. Suddenly, a need arises and the smoke detectors don't wake them up because their batteries weren't working. I've read too many stories about deaths occurring because of that particular reason. It is a tragedy when that happens. It doesn't take more than a few moments to test the smoke detectors or replace batteries. Those few seconds out of your life could allow you more years to even enjoy your life.
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